KUALA LUMPUR: Most temporary flood relief centres in Penang, Pahang, Kedah and Perak were closed on Sunday (Oct 18) as floods improved, with only two remaining in operation in Perak as of 4pm.
In Penang, Seberang Perai Tengah district officer Datuk Kamarul Haizal Koderat said the only centre at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Seri Penanti in Bukit Mertajam was closed Sunday afternoon, and all 36 victims from 10 families were allowed to return home.
He said the closure followed assessments by the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department and the Malaysian Civil Defence Force, which found the affected area safe for residents to return.
The centre was opened at 8.30pm on Saturday to house evacuees from Kampung Kubang Semang after their homes were flooded due to heavy rain.
In Pahang, two relief centres in Raub housing 26 evacuees from 11 families were also closed at 1pm Sunday.
The Raub disaster management committee secretariat said all evacuees at Balai Raya Kampung Baru Cheroh and Balai Raya Sempam Baru relief centre had been allowed to return home as flood conditions continued to improve.
Meanwhile, in Kedah, Kubang Pasu Civil Defence Officer Capt (PA) Mohd Adenin Suhaim said the Dewan Lembah Keriang relief centre in Jitra was closed at 3.30pm on Sunday after floods in Mukim Temin receded.
The closure allowed 26 evacuees from eight affected families to return home. The centre had been opened at 11pm Saturday to house affected residents from Kampung Tradisi and Kampung Baru.
In Perak, Larut, Matang dan Selama disaster management committee chairman Mohd Nasrul Menhat said three relief centres, at SK Changkat Ibol, Dewan Masjid Al-Wusta Batu 8 and Dewan Perdana Trong, were closed at 1.30pm Sunday.
However, the Perak state disaster management committee secretariat said two relief centres remained in operation as of 4pm, at SK Matang Gelugor and SK Matang.
According to the statement, 146 evacuees from 48 families are still sheltering at SK Matang Gelugor, while 56 from 21 families are housed at the SK Matang following a storm that affected several villages in the area since Wednesday.
The floods hit Kampung Matang Pasir and Kampung Matang Gelugor, while the storm also struck Kampung Changkat Baru Matang, Kampung Teluk Kertam, Kampung Melawati and Kampung Hujung Matang.
Other areas also hit by floods were Kampung Changkat Ibol, Kampung Batu 9 and the Trong and Matang areas. - Bernama
