KOTA KINABALU: Authorities have enforced a mandatory evacuation order in flood-stricken areas of Kinabatangan after days of unsuccessful persuasion, as rising water levels and escalating threats to public safety prompted urgent action.
The order, which came into effect at 9am on Friday (April 4), was issued by the Kinabatangan district disaster operations control centre under Section 4C(1)(b) of the Civil Defence Act.
It applies to several red-zone areas, including Kampung Muhibbah, Muhibbah Tengah, Muhibbah Hujung, the community hall, and all homes within a 100m radius of the Pengkalan jetty.
Kinabatangan Civil Defence Force officer Kapt Ahmad Roslan Mohd Kamel said the situation had reached a critical point, forcing authorities to act after repeated attempts to convince residents to evacuate.
"For two days, not a single person entered the temporary relief centre despite continuous announcements," he explained.
"The situation has now reached a level where it's dangerous. This is no longer about inconvenience—it's about survival."
As of 4pm Saturday (April 5), the relief centre at SK Bukit Garam was housing 29 families, totalling 131 individuals.
Ahmad Roslan highlighted the immediate safety concerns driving the order, including the rising speed and volume of floodwaters, the risk of reptile attacks, the spread of waterborne diseases, and the necessity to restrict access to dangerous zones for better monitoring.
The state Wildlife Department has confirmed that a crocodile was recently spotted near Kampung Muhibbah, less than 1km from the affected area.
A joint team with police has been deployed to monitor the site and set traps.
The area is close to Tanjung Bulat, known for being the habitat of Si Black, the crocodile blamed for the 2018 death of an off-duty Civil Defence Force personnel who was dragged into the river while fishing.
It was reported that despite the rising floodwaters, nine families in Kampung Pengkalan, Bukit Garam—a village previously declared unfit for settlement and vacated under a past resettlement programme—had refused to leave their homes.
These residents, all Malaysians, who had moved into abandoned houses near a dilapidated community hall, expressed concerns about losing their belongings to theft, disliked the food at relief centres, and believed the floods would subside.
Electricity had already been cut to the area, and rescue teams had spent days attempting to persuade the residents to evacuate before the order was enforced.
"Even if some view this approach as harsh, our duty is to protect lives," said Ahmad Roslan.
