Malaysia: Floods in Terengganu, Kelantan and Sabah

Terengganu floods -- 27 schools closed, over 3,000 evacuated
SHARANPAL SINGH RANDHAWA The Star 22 Jan 17;

KUALA TERENGGANU: The worsening floods that hit again in many parts of the state has forced the closure of 27 schools in five districts.

State Education Department director Shafruddin Ali Hussin said in a statement Sunday that the closure affected 5,824 students and 681 teachers.

Fourteen of the schools were located in Hulu Terengganu, nine in Setiu, two in Besut and one each in Dungun and Kemaman.

"On Sunday morning, we had decided that due to the worsening floods, these schools had to be closed.

"Many of the schools had been inundated by flood waters. Some roads linking to the schools had been cut off while other schools were used as evacuation centres," he said.

He added that those who arrived at the schools were allowed to return home for their safety.

In Hulu Terengganu, the affected schools are SK Tengkawang, SK Matang, SK Kua, SK Bukit Tadok, SK Lubok Periuk, SK Tg Ampuan Intan, SMA Mahmudiah, SM Imtiaz Kuala Berang, SK K Ping, SK Getang, SMK Kuala Jenderis, SK Teris, SK Padang Setebu and SK Kuala Jenderis.

As of 8am on Sunday, the total number of flood victims was 3,998 in four districts.

According to the statistics from the state Civil Defence Force, Besut recorded the most evacuees at 1,398 from 343 families in 30 evacuation centres.

Hulu Terengganu was next in line with 1,386 victims from 497 families in 19 centres.

Setiu recorded 1,070 victims from 286 families housed in 26 evacuation centres, while Kemaman had 144 victims from 40 families placed in six centres.


13 schools in Terengganu closed due to floods
SHARANPAL SINGH RANDHAWA The Star 21 Jan 17;

SETIU: Thirteen schools in Terengganu will be closed on Sunday after four districts were affected by floods.

State Education, Science, Technology and Transformation Committee chairman A. Latiff Awang said the four districts were Setiu, Hulu Terengganu, Besut and Kemaman.

Some 2,679 students and 307 teachers were involved.

"Of the eight primary schools in Setiu, six will be closed after it was inundated by floodwaters while two more will be used as evacuation centres.

"The six schools inundated by flood waters were SK Kampung Besut, SK Chalok, SK Langkap, SK Kampung Buloh, SK Sungai Las and SK Kampung Bukit.

"The other two schools which will be used as evacuation centres are SK Alur Lek Kasar and SK Merbau Menyusut," he said.

In Hulu Terengganu, A. Latiff said the schools involved were SK Tengkawang and SK Matang; SK Padang Kubu in Kemaman while the two schools in Besut were SK Kampung Nangka and SK Tembila.


Terengganu flood situation deteriorates, 4,449 evacuated this morning
ZARINA ABDULLAH New Straits Times 22 Jan 17;

KUALA TERENGGANU: Flooding in the state has reached a critical level with the number of flood evacuees skyrocketing to 4,449 people from 1,277 families, and 17 more relief centres being opened in four districts this morning. As of 7am, the state flood watch Welfare Department portal reported that 91 relief centres are now in operation.

This morning’s numbers are an increase from 3,465 people from 959 families who moved to 74 relief centres last night.

The portal states that the worst-affected district is Besut with 1,747 evacuees from 435 families who are staying at 36 relief centres, compared with 1,693 people from 427 families evacuated last night.

In Setiu, the number of evacuees rose to 1,172 from 302 families who are housed at 30 relief centres, compared with last night. Hulu Terengganu has also seen a rise to 1,386 victims from 497 families taking shelter at 19 relief centres, compared to 739 victims from 250 families at 11 relief centres last night. In Kemaman, the number of victims rose to 144 people from 44 families at six relief centres.


Terengganu braces for fourth wave of floods
SHARANPAL SINGH RANDHAWA The Star 22 Jan 17;

SETIU: The state is once again being hit by floods – the fourth wave in less than two months – and the people have been told to prepare for the worst.

State Disaster Management Committee secretary Mejar Amirsarifudin Zalman said the floods this time might be as bad as the third wave that hit from Dec 31 to Jan 9, which saw some 13,400 victims evacuated.

The first wave was from Nov 29 to Dec 1, followed by the second from Dec 26 to 28. The current wave started on Friday.

“The number of evacuees may go as high as the previous wave. The Meteorological Department has issued orange and red alerts to some districts with moderate and heavy rains predicted in the next few days.

“This is not to scare the public but to get them to be prepared for any eventuality,” he said.

Amirsarifudin added that all respective agencies were on standby with many of the personnel’s leave frozen.

“We hope that the situation does not reach a critical level although our team is ready.”

As of 6pm yesterday, four districts were affected by floods, with 3,316 victims from 908 families placed at 70 evacuation centres. Besut topped with 1,693 evacuees; Setiu (904); Hulu Terengganu (631); and Kemaman (88).

Areas here, especially in Kampung Nyatoh and Kampung Permaisuri, also saw many low-lying areas inundated. Villagers were seen moving their belongings to a safer place and getting prepared to move to the evacuation centres.

For many, it was the second time in two weeks that their homes were flooded, an experience that Rozali Jusoh, 67, found very tiring for him and his wife.

“The family had just come back from staying at the relief centre for five days and now we are going back again.

“It’s quite a task to carry the furniture and belongings, then clean the whole house and put back all the things, only to repeat the entire process and worse, all of a sudden,” he said.

He was also worried about his children’s safety as the flood waters rose quickly to 2m.

The floods also saw access to 19 roads in Hulu Terengganu, Setiu and Besut cut off.

Thirteen schools in Terengganu will be closed today with some 2,679 students and 307 teachers in the four districts affected.

Kelantan floods worsen considerably; almost 12,000 people evacuated
BERNAMA New Straits Times 22 Jan 17;

KOTA BARU: The number of flood victims in Kelantan shot up to 11,748 from 3,255 families as at 8am today, compared to 9,220 from 2,587 families at 8pm last night.

According to the Social Welfare Department, through their infobanjir application, all the flood victims are currently housed at 65 relief centres in seven districts in the state.

Out of the total, 5,109 people from 1,334 families are housed in 24 relief centres in Kota Baru, 2,507 people (678 families) are at 10 relief centres in Pasir Puteh, 2,086 people (665 families) are at 21 relief centres in Pasir Mas, and 1,238 people (356 families) are at three centres in Tumpat.

Additionally, 522 people from 141 families are housed at a relief centre in Bachok, 197people (56 families) are in four centres in Machang, and 89 people (25 families) are in two centres in Tanah Merah.

Meanwhile, according to the portal ebanjir.kelantan.gov.my, the water level at Sungai Golok in Rantau Panjang has remained at 10.11 metres as at 8am. The river’s danger level is nine metres. -- BERNAMA


Over 3,000 evacuated as floods worsen in Kelantan
The Star 21 Jan 17;

KOTA BARU: The floods have worsened in Kelantan, requiring the evacuation of 3,232 people in seven districts as at 8am Saturday.

The evacuees, from 866 families, are being housed at 35 relief centres in the districts of Kota Baru, Pasir Mas, Pasir Puteh, Bachok, Machang, Tanah Merah and Tumpat, according to the Social Welfare Department's "infobanjir" app.

The data on the number of evacuees, families and relief centres is as follows:

Kota Baru - 1,345 evacuees from 341 families at 10 relief centres.

Pasir Mas - 688 evacuees from 185 families at 13 relief centres.

Pasir Puteh - 632 evacuees from 180 families at six relief centres.

Bachok - 295 evacuees from 86 families at one relief centre.

Machang - 101 evacuees from 28 families at one relief centre.

Tanah Merah - 99 evacuees from 27 families at three relief centres.

Tumpat - 72 evacuees from 19 families at one relief centre.

The Kelantan state government portal reported that the level of Sungai Golok at Rantau Panjang was 9.95m at 8am, which is above the warning point of 9m. - Bernama


CNY festivities ruined for Kelantan folk
SYED AZHAR The Star 22 Jan 17;

KOTA BARU: Kuang Lena Yien stood rooted to the spot as flood waters started rising during a bout of heavy rain in Wakaf Baru here.

Within minutes, it gushed into her double-storey terrace house, ruining everything in its path.

The frightening experience on Friday evening was still fresh in her mind when she spoke yesterday.

“Almost everything on the lower floor is damaged. Luckily, I managed to drive my car to higher ground.

“It happened very fast. There was nothing we could do,” said the businesswoman.

Kuang, 46, said the incident has spoiled her mood to celebrate Chinese New Year.

She said her housing area was flood-prone and the residents were always prepared every monsoon season.

“But this year, the flood was exceptionally high, causing much losses.

“Now, it is cleaning time and we need to put our celebrations on hold,” she said.

Heavy rain was still lashing the area and as a safety precaution, Kuang has prepared a rubber dinghy for her son, aged seven.

In Melur, Pasir Puteh, Mandy Aw Siew Sin’s shophouse was inundated by flood water that reached 0.3m high.

“This has never happened before, as long as I can remember,” said Aw, who lives with her 65-year-old mother.

“During the major flood in 2014, the water was not even near this level.”

Still visibly shaken, the mother of two girls said she would be spending the next week cleaning the house of mud and debris.

Aw said that although it has been raining the past few days, it was the norm during the monsoon season.

“But this time it is crazy. My house is just 100m from the river.

“Never before has the water risen so fast and gushed in,” she said, adding that they waited more than 12 hours for the water to recede.

On the coming Chinese New Year, Aw said there would be no celebrations as most of her furniture and electrical appliances were damaged.

The overcast skies suggest that the rain is not about to go away anytime soon.

As at 8pm yesterday, more than 9,220 residents from Tumpat, Tanah Merah, Pasir Puteh, Pasir Mas, Machang, Bachok and here have been evacuated.

They are being sheltered in about 57 flood relief centres.

The level of Sungai Golok in Rantau Panjang is 10.11m, above the 9m danger mark.


Kelantan submerged once more following three days of rain
KALBANA PERIMBANAYAGAM New Straits Times 21 Jan 17;

KOTA BARU: More flood relief centres have been opened following three days of continuous heavy rain in parts of Kelantan. As of 9am today, 32 relief centres were opened state-wide, sheltering 2,744 flood victims evacuated from Pasir Putih, Bachok, Pasir Mas, Tanah Merah, Kota Baru, Tumpat and Machang.

State Welfare Department director Mohammad Hanafi Maulud said the 2,744 victims are from 744 families whose houses were deemed unsafe after being inundated by floodwaters since yesterday. He said the number of evacuees is expected to increase if the rain does not stop by this afternoon.

“It rained throughout the night, and more low-lying areas have been inundated.

"The latest centres opened at 6am today are in Gual Periok and Bunut Susu in Pasir Mas, with 11 and 116 victims respectively,” Hanafi said.

There are 13 relief centres in Pasir Mas, followed by nine in Kota Baru – making them the districts with the most evacuees, with 675 and 1,088, respectively.

Hanafi said that they are currently in the midst of opening another centre in Pasir Mas at Sekolah Bayu Lalang.

Meanwhile, checks on the water at Sungai Golok showed that it has exceeded the danger level by 0.95 metres, causing it to overflow in Rantau Panjang; while in Pasir Putih, Sungai Semarak has reached the warning level of 2.45 metres, just short of the danger level.

Sungai Kelantan however, showed no significant change. Several roads in Machang and Pasir Mas have been closed due to the flash floods.

Among them are Jalan Kampung Pek-Paloh Rawa, Jalan Pangkal Gong-Kemubu, Jalan Machang-Kota Bharu in Machang and Jalan Bukit Tuku-Batu Hampar, Jalan Lubok Jong-Pohon Tanjong and Jalan Pengkalan Rakit in Pasir Mas.


Sabah floods worsen with almost 3,000 villagers evacuated
BERNAMA New Straits Times 20 Jan 17;

KOTA KINABALU: Twelve evacuation centres are sheltering 2,957 flood victims from 936 families in Kota Marudu and Pitas as of 7am today.

Sabah State Disaster Management Committee secretariat chief Col Mulliadi Al-Hamdi Ladin said 2,880 from 910 families are staying at 11 evacuation centres in Kota Marudu, while 77 from 26 families are at another centre in Pitas.

He said the water at Sungai Bengkoka and Sungai Kebatasan also remain at the danger level of 4.0 metres and 6.07 metres respectively.

In Sandakan, 37 residents in Kampung Binsulong, Paitan, were moved to Dewan Serbaguna Kampung Binsulong when flood hit the village at around 9pm last night.

Sandakan Fire and Rescue operations officer Haikal Jammy Ngali Abdullah said the evacuation ended at 12.11pm. -- BERNAMA


Floods return to northern Sabah, rivers reach danger levels
OLIVIA MIWIL New Straits Times 22 Jan 17;

KOTA MARUDU: Rising flood waters forced the evacuation of up to 427 people from 100 families from here, Pitas and Paitan by 9.30am today. Malaysian Civil Defence Force state director Colonel Muliadi Al-Hamdi Ladin said one temporary relief centre has been set up in every district.

"The water level at Sungai Bongon is at 7.42 meters and at Sungai Bandau, 6.9 meters, which are the alert levels.

"In Pitas, Sg Batasan is at 6.45 metres and Sg Bengkoka is at 4.23 metres – both are at the danger level," he said in a statement, adding that 18 villages in Pitas were affected, while eight roads are not safe to be used. He added that rain is continuing to pour in all three districts.