MB: Kelantan is prepared to face bigger floods

KOTA BARU: Kelantan will use its experience in handling the “land tsunami” which hit the state in 2014 to deal with the situation if the state were to face a similar flood situation like Selangor and Pahang, says Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob.

“The floods that occurred in Selangor and Pahang were unexpected... it reminds us of the major floods that occurred in Kelantan in 2014.

“As such, the state government is making preparations for the possibility of bigger floods following the latest weather forecast,” he said after flagging off the Kelantan Flood Relief Mission (Khidmat Malaysia) to Pahang at Kota Darul Naim here yesterday.

A total of 1,500 volunteers from various state government agencies were involved in the relief mission to assist flood victims in Pahang, Bernama reported.

Ahmad said the state government had allocated RM100,000 for the mission.

“Prior to this, the state government had contributed RM200,000 to Pahang and Selangor, which were badly affected by the floods through the Serambi Mekah Fund and handed over by Kelantan Khidmat Malaysia deputy chairman Datuk Mumtaz Mohd Nawi.

“The RM100,000 is from the state disaster fund and members of the mission will go to four locations in Pahang, (namely) Kuala Lipis, Jerantut, Kuala Krau and Bentong,” he added.

In Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) has issued a weather warning, with rain and thunderstorms expected in several coastal areas of Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang this morning.

Similar weather conditions are also expected to occur in several areas in Kuching, Betong, Mukah, Sarikei, Sibu and Bintulu in Sarawak as well as Kudat, Sandakan and Tawau in Sabah, Bernama reported.Rain and thunderstorms have also been forecast for one or two areas in Perak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, Johor, Pahang, Sarawak, Labuan and the interior and west coast of Sabah in the evening.

“Meanwhile, at night, rain is also expected in one or two places in Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Melaka, Johor, Sarawak (Limbang, Miri and Kapit), Sabah (west coast, Interior, Tawau and Sandakan) and Labuan,” MetMalaysia said in a statement.