Malaysia flood update: Pahang still worst affected, with over 7,000 evacuees

BERNAMA New Straits Times 28 Jan 17;

KUANTAN: Pahang is now the state worst-affected by flooding, with its Civil Defence Force director Zainal Yusoff revealing that the number of flood evacuees in several district rose to 7,130 people as of 8am today, compared to 6,728 last night.

Lipis has the highest number of evacuees at 2,000 people, followed by Temerloh (1,996), Jerantut (1,078), Rompin (1,033), Bera (417), Maran (362), Pekan (205) and Raub (39).

In Kuantan, however, all flood relief centres were closed after flood waters subsided and the weather remained fine.

As a precaution, twenty-five sub-stations were shut down across the state.

Tenaga Nasional Bhd's general manager for Pahang, Datuk Sharuddin Mohd Simin, said the sub-stations, eight in Jerantut and 18 in Lipis, were shut down in stages since Wednesday.

"The move was taken to avoid any untoward incident because of the floods," he said.

He said the shutdown has affected 2,253 consumers in Lipis and 229 in Jerantut.

In JOHOR, the number of flood evacuees dropped to 4,301 people this morning, compared to 4,834 people last night.

State Health and Environment Committee chairman Datuk Ayub Rahmat said the victims, from 1,137 families, are at 55 flood relief centres in Segamat, Tangkak, Kluang and Muar.

There are now 2,403 evacuees in Segamat; Tangkak (1,473); Muar (416) and Kluang (nine).

Seven roads are still not passable to vehicles here, namely Jalan Pogoh-Tekam; Seksyen 5.2-5.9 Jalan Kuala Paya-Balai Badang; Tumang Batu Anam-Kawasan Ladang and Jalan Felda Kemelah in Segamat; the Jalan Kampung Sungai Pinggan Bridge in Pontian; and Kilometer 61 of Jalan Muar-Labis; Jalan Pagoh Terkam and Jalan Renang Gombang-Liang Batu in Muar.

In KELANTAN, the Social Welfare Department's flood portal said there has been much improvement in the flooding situation, with the number of evacuees dropping to 410 people as of 8am today, compared to 1,163 people last night.

Fifteen flood relief centres are still in operation in Jeli, Kuala Krai, Gua Musang, Tanah Merah and Pasir Puteh.

However, the water levels of Sungai Kelantan and Sungai Golok are still reported to be above the danger mark.

In PERAK, the Social Welfare Department's flood portal said 538 flood victims are still at nine flood relief centres state-wide.

Hilir Perak has the highest number of victims at 264 people, Manjung (217), Larut Matang (41) and Tanjung Tualang (eight).

Twenty-two families in Kampung Selat Manggis here were forced to evacuate today after several river bunds near the village broke due to strong water pressure in Sungai Bidor.

Hilir Perak Civil Defence Force officer Mohd Fazly Mohamad Zawawi said the rescue team had to use boats to relocate the villagers to a relief centre at SK Sungai Kerawaim, as the road leading to the village was inundated with one-metre deep flood waters.

"The evacuation process began at 10am. We even had to persuade them to leave their houses, as we were worried that the situation would get worse due to cloudy weather," he told reporters here.

A villager, Sarimah Ibrahim, 40, said she woke up to the screams of her neighbour this morning, before realising that her house was already inundated with water which rose to thigh-level.

In SELANGOR, 346 people were reported to still be at flood relief centres in the Sabak Bernam district.

In SARAWAK, the State Disaster Management Committee secretariat spokesman Maj Ismail Mahedin said 1,762 packs of food will be despatched to Beluru near here by express boat tomorrow to be distributed to a primary school and 15 longhouses there.

He said that as of 6pm yesterday, 5,818 people from 894 families were affected by floods in the Beluru district.

However, no evacuation centres were opened, as the longhouses affected are on stilts, and above the water, with only the roads leading to them inundated, thus cutting off access. -- BERNAMA


2nd wave floods: Damages on schools could reach millions of ringgit
ADIE SURI ZULKEFLI New Straits Times 28 Jan 17;

PADANG TERAP: The Education Ministry believed that the losses incurred on school properties during the second wave of floods could easily reach tens of millions of ringgit.

Its Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said this was based on the estimated damage of RM10 million in the first wave of floods in Kelantan, Terengganu and Sabah last December.

He said he had not received a full report on the damage caused by the second wave of floods on schools in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Johor, Perak and Sabah earlier this month but expected it to be higher than the first wave. "We are still carrying out assessment on the actual damages suffered by all schools that were hit by the second wave of floods in the states concerned and the ministry will take necessary action once we done compiling the reports.

"As for the first wave of floods, the amount of damages was reported at about RM10 million and we have issued allocation warrants to the affected schools.

But, the repair works have yet to start following the second wave of floods," he told reporters after opening the golden jubilee celebration of Lubok Merbau Felda settlement here today.

On a separate matter, Mahdzir, who is also Padang Terap MP said the ministry has allowed the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) to develop SK Lubok Merbau quarters area into a housing scheme for the second generation of Felda settlers.

He said besides two units, the rest of the quarters, which were built in the 1970s were no longer occupied by teachers, so it would be wiser for the area to be used to build houses for the Felda Lubok Merbau second generation.