KUALA LUMPUR: Three people have died and more than 80,000 have been evacuated from floods across several Malaysian states, the government said on Friday (Nov 29) as officials warned the monsoon season could bring the country’s worst flooding in a decade.
Floods are common on the east coast of peninsular Malaysia during the monsoon period between October and March, but this week’s torrential rain has led to mass evacuations, mostly in the northeastern state of Kelantan that borders Thailand.
The National Disaster Command Centre’s website said as of Friday morning three people had died and 80,589 people had been evacuated to 467 temporary shelters in seven states, with Kelantan and neighbouring Terengganu the worst hit. It did not provide further details on the deaths.
Deputy Prime Minister and National Disaster Management Committee chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said on Thursday that the floods were expected to be more severe than in 2014, when nearly a quarter of a million people were forced from their homes.
“Given the severity of the situation, all parties have been mobilised to ensure the safety and welfare of flood victims,” he was quoted as saying by state news agency Bernama.
The government has deployed more than 82,000 security personnel as well as rescue boats, four-wheel drive vehicles and helicopters, Ahmad Zahid said.
The national railway operator KTM Berhad said in a Facebook post it had suspended nine train routes on the east coast due to floods.
Amid the floods, Kelantan’s tourism, culture, arts and heritage committee chairman Kamarudin Md Noor has drawn flak for saying he plans to attract tourists during the monsoon season by promoting activities such as surfing.
The intention is to help businesses affected during the monsoon season, but he has come under criticism, with people online criticising his comments as insensitive and an embarrassment.