Civil Defence Force personnel checking on the flood situation at the affected villages in Pontian. - Photo courtesy of the Civil Defence Force
PONTIAN: Over 150 people from 46 families have been sent to a temporary relief centre here after their homes were inundated with floodwaters.
The Johor Disaster Management Committee said the number of victims showed an upward trend on Saturday (Oct 4), and as of 4pm, some 159 people had been evacuated.
“Only 107 people were affected as of 10am, but the number has been rising slowly throughout the day.
“A flood relief centre was opened at SK Melayu Raya at about 6am to provide shelter for the victims.
“As of 4pm, no new relief centres have been opened and Pontian remains the only district affected,” it said in a statement, adding that the weather statewide had been dry as of 4pm.
The affected areas are Kampung Melayu Raya, Kampung Paya Embun, Kampung Pak Kalib, Kampung Seri Menanti and Kampung Maju Jaya.
The committee also noted that the Civil Defence Force (APM) was alerted about the flash flood at about 3.35am on Saturday (Oct 4).
“The flood was believed to have been caused by continuous heavy rain and water runoff from Gunung Pulai.
“Kampung Melayu Raya and Kampung Sri Gambut were the only areas affected initially, but the floods have since hit two other villages,” it said.
Meanwhile, Tanjung Piai MP Datuk Seri Dr Wee Jeck Seng said that he will be bringing a proposal for the expansion of the drainage system in Kampung Maju Jaya to Parliament.
“This is a recurring problem, and this year alone, the area has been hit by floods more than twice.
“I will be bringing up the proposal to Parliament soon, and hopefully we can prevent the people here from having to go through this again,” he said.
He said he is also in the midst of seeking aid for the people under his constituency here.
He added that the collapse of a water retention pond bund at Sungai Tanjung Air Hitam in Kulai recently may have caused water from the Gunung Pulai area to overflow into several villages.
