PETALING JAYA: Some 2,763 people have been displaced by floods in the wake of the annual north-east monsoon, says Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali.
The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of special functions and Sabah and Sarawak said 14 districts in five states have been hit by floods.
“A total of 2,763 people from 834 households are now seeking shelter in 22 temporary relief centres,” he said in a statement yesterday.
There were six affected districts in Terengganu; three each in Perak and Pahang; and one each in Johor and Kelantan.
Armizan, who visited 339 victims from Kampung Batu Kapor at SMK Seri Semantan, said Temerloh has the highest risk of flooding out of 11 districts in Pahang.
“Temerloh has 124 flood risk areas or 22% of all the 554 risk areas in Pahang,” he added, citing data from the Meteorological Department.
On Monday, the Irrigation and Drainage Department’s (DID) National Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre warned of possible flash floods within 24 hours in Penang, Negri Sembilan, Perak, Selangor, Terengganu and Pahang.
Armizan advised residents living in flood-prone areas not to delay evacuation if ordered to do so by the authorities.
He said the Civil Defence Force was empowered to evacuate flood victims to relief centres if needed.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said more evacuation centres are being opened than ever before.
“For example, in Pahang, almost 800 centres have been opened compared with the previous (monsoon) period where around 400-plus centres were opened. This readiness is based on the need to create enough space for victims,” he told a press conference at Bukit Aman.
He said the police were at full readiness and would also deploy vehicles, especially boats and lorries.
