Floods have claimed seven lives to date

A TOTAL of seven people have been killed in the floods, with the latest incident reported yesterday, reported Bernama.

A man who was reported missing when currents swept away his motorcycle was found drowned at an oil palm plantation in Felda Kerteh 3, Dungun, Terengganu.

The number of flood victims at temporary relief centres decreased to 99,823 as of last night, compared to 112,455 yesterday afternoon, with Kelantan still recording the highest number.

However, the flood situation in three states - Pahang, Perak and Johor - worsened, with an increase in evacuees reported as of 8 pm, while all shelters in Negeri Sembilan have been completely closed.

In a statement yesterday, the meteorological department (MetMalaysia) said it expects a “monsoon surge” to occur from Dec 8 to 14 in the eastern part of Peninsular Malaysia.

MetMalaysia said the situation has the potential to cause continuous rain during that period.

It also said that based on an analysis of weather models, a concentration of wind is expected to occur in Kelantan and Terengganu from tomorrow evening until early Wednesday morning.

This could produce thunderstorms and heavy rain during the period, it said.

Meanwhile, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain has reminded those affected by floods to heed orders to evacuate if they are told to do so, reported the New Straits Times.

"These orders are not made lightly and have taken into consideration the safety of all victims, as well as government agencies involved in flood operations,”.

Razarudin's advice came on the heels of several flood-related deaths, including that of a year-old toddler in Kelantan.

Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat had said the child's family had been instructed to evacuate but they refused to do so.

He said some victims were too stubborn to evacuate as they did not want to leave their belongings and homes unattended.

Razarudin gave his assurance that policemen would continue to carry out their core duties in maintaining public order and safety in flood-affected areas. - December 3, 2024