28-12-2023 (KUALA LUMPUR) In a relentless onslaught, torrential rain, part of the annual monsoon season, wreaked havoc across six Malaysian states on December 27. The deluge forced an alarming 27,000 individuals to seek refuge at emergency shelters, with the east coast states bearing the brunt of the calamity.
Even Kelantan Menteri Besar, Nassuruddin Daud, found himself grappling with the rising waters surrounding his residence in Kampung Meranti, on the outskirts of the state capital Kota Bharu. Sharing his experience on Facebook, he expressed gratitude that, despite the rapid escalation of water levels, he could fulfil his official duties on December 27. Social media images from his account depicted knee-deep, murky water inundating the roads in his village.
The torrential downpour resulted in riverbanks bursting in multiple areas across the six states, namely Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Johor, Selangor, and Sabah. The east coast states, Kelantan and Terengganu, situated along the South China Sea, emerged as the worst affected, accounting for over 95% of evacuees.
In Terengganu, 13 rivers spanning six districts surpassed the danger level by noon on December 26, a consequence of relentless rainfall in the preceding days. Social media posts circulated images of main roads in Terengganu rendered impassable, with vehicles submerged in floodwaters.
In Kelantan, heightened water levels and robust currents breached a flood mitigation project wall at Sungai Golok, triggering flooding in the adjacent Pasir Mas area. The Department of Social Welfare reported that 20,216 individuals in Kelantan had been evacuated to 66 temporary relief centres, a notable increase from 15,145 on December 26. Meanwhile, in Terengganu, 6,175 sought shelter at 63 centres, with an additional 119 individuals evacuated in Pahang.
Temporary shelters, typically established in public town halls and schools on elevated ground, are equipped with flood-relief essentials, including tents, utensils, raw food for communal cooking, and rescue boats.
Volunteers from the Ajil Silaturrahim non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Terengganu took swift action, utilizing excavators to transport dozens of staff and patients to safety at the Hulu Terengganu Hospital via boats. Sahnun Hamad, the NGO’s leader, highlighted the ongoing challenges, stating, “The waters have receded a little bit, down to 1.5m, but we are still using excavators and boats to move people.”
The response to the crisis involved 647 policemen and 154 volunteers from the Malaysia Volunteers Corps, along with 35 boats, 29 lorries, and 56 four-wheel-drive vehicles. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced his visit to Kelantan on December 28 to personally assess the worsening situation.
Against the backdrop of the escalating flood crisis, concerns about the rising number of Covid-19 cases in Malaysia prompted health department officials and medical staff to deploy to evacuation centres for Covid-19 screenings. Terengganu deputy police chief Wan Rukman Wan Hassan emphasized the importance of health checks for flood victims, stating, “If their condition is not satisfactory, the victim will be referred to the hospital for further screening and treatment.”
Wan Rukman also issued reminders to parents to prevent their children from playing in floodwaters and advised holiday travelers to keep electrical appliances elevated in case of flooding.
