Situation set to worsen in country already hit by deaths, evacuations and crocodile menace
Straits Times 14 Dec 07;
KUALA LUMPUR - ALREADY, crocodiles are menacing villagers, 13 people have died and 33,000 have been evacuated. Now forecasts of more rain mean things could be about to get worse for flood-hit Malaysia.
As monsoon downpours continued to pound the country, a meteorological official said an orange warning - the second-highest alert - has been issued for parts of Pahang and Johor until today.
Local media have reported that the rains have cut off roads in several states, including Kelantan and Terengganu in the east and Johor in the south.
Johor was the worst hit, with 13,000 residents fleeing to higher ground, the New Straits Times reported yesterday.
It also said some villagers in the state are living in fear of crocodiles, which have been seen feasting on dead chickens dumped by poultry farms.
And making matters worse for Johor residents, the paper said, many who rely on income from rubber-tapping to support their families have been unable to work for three weeks because of the continuous rain.
The death toll from the floods also jumped yesterday from seven the day before, with new victims including a three-year-old Indonesian girl in central Pahang state whose body was found trapped under a tree trunk, the Bernama news agency said.
A 15-year-old boy also drowned in northern Kelantan state while playing in flood waters in front of his house, the state agency said.
And officials said the number of flood victims forced to flee their homes rose to 18,492 in central Pahang state and 3,226 in Kelantan, but eased to 11,402 in Johor.
Government agencies are now trying to overcome food-shortage problems faced by those sheltering in relief centres, the state news agency said.
'Our focus is on how to get aid to the flood victims,' Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Shafie Apdal said, urging traders not to profiteer by increasing the prices of goods in short supply.
In Kampung Jawa, according to village headman Md Sahar Sabino, more needs to be done.
He told the New Straits Times that while enough food was being delivered on a daily basis for the adults in his village, there were concerns about providing a balanced diet for the babies and elderly residents.
'There is also a shortage of diapers and infant formula for the babies. We would really appreciate donations as the current wet spell means napkins cannot dry,' he added.
Meanwhile, The Star reported yesterday that Agriculture and Agro-Based Industries Minister Muhyiddin Yassin is to propose that state governments look into permanently resettling villages located in flood-prone areas.
He reportedly said a long-term solution was needed as the government could not afford to keep compensating victims every time there was a flood.
Tan Sri Muhyiddin, speaking after visiting flood victims in the Bukit Serampang area yesterday, pointed out that the government used to resettle villagers during the 1970s, moving them from flood-prone villages to higher grounds.
And the Pagoh MP was quoted as saying: 'Climate change has brought regular flooding to Johor and other parts of the country, and affected most villagers along the rivers and low-lying areas.'
Last December, major floods in Johor left more than 110,000 people displaced in a disaster that caused at least RM1.5 billion (S$652 million) worth of damage.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS
