Over 115,000 evacuated in Malaysian floods

Kota Tinggi- Images source : JB Talk

Over 115,000 Malaysians have been forced to flee their homes as floods worsen in the south and on Borneo island, officials have said as relief workers struggled to feed and shelter victims.

The national flood operations centre said the situation was expected to deteriorate in the worst-hit state of Johor in Malaysia's south, where nearly 110,000 have abandoned their homes.

Bernama reported that the situation in the flood-hit states has stabilised with slight increases in the number of evacuees after the weather improved Sunday night.

In JOHOR, a state police flood operations room spokesman said there were 109,831 victims from 24,765 families at 344 relief centres as of this morning.

Batu Pahat had the biggest number of 39,091 victims at 126 centres, followed by Kluang (16,024), Johor Baharu south (10,664), Johor Baharu north (5,753), Kota Tinggi (13,189), Segamat (6,593), Mersing (8,239), Muar (5,611) and Pontian (4,669).

Kota Tinggi town is still under 1m of water in several areas after the Sungai Johor burst its banks, cutting off access between the district and Johor Baharu and Mersing.

The roads that are still closed are Jalan Seelong-Ulu Tiram, KM3 Jalan Ulu Choh-Gelang Patah, KM32 Bandar Tenggara, KM24 Jalan Kota Tinggi-Kulai, KM26 Kota Tinggi-Kulai near Sungai Telor, KM40 Kota Tinggi-Johor Baharu at Kampung Batu 23, Jalan Tun Sri Lanang in Bandar Tenggara, KM24 Jalan Mawai at Jalan Tun Habab and KM68.8 Jalan Kota Tinggi.

In Segamat, several schools in the district remained closed.

The student affairs officer at the Segamat Education Office, Jais Saadon, when contacted, said four schools in the district had informed the office that they would be closed for one to two days due to the severe damage wreaked by the floods. The classes would be replaced on other days.

They are Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Chaah (on Jan 15 and 16), Sekolah Kebangsaan Segamat (Jan 15), Sekolah Kebangsaan Kampung Tengah (Jan 15) and Sekolah Kebangsaan Kampung Jawa (Jan 15 and 16).

In PAHANG, the number of flood evacuees increased to 2,638 this morning, from 2,447 last night.

A spokesman at the Pahang police flood operations room said those evacuated were from 570 families in 12 villages in Rompin district. They are being sheltered at 14 relief centres.

In SABAH, a total of 1,398 people from 43 flood-stricken villages in Pitas, about 181km from Kota Kinabalu, were still at four relief centres in the district as at 10am today.

Pitas district officer told Bernama that the number of evacuees was expected to increase further with more people in the process of evacuation.

He said a helicopter was being used to send aid, including food and clothing, to about 60 families in four villages -- Kampung Pinapak, Kampung Nibang, Kampung Mandamai and Kampung Mangkabusu -- where road links had been cut off due to the floods.

The trunk road connecting Pitas and Kinabatangan is still closed although the water level at Sungai Bengkoka receded to 4.5m, which is below the danger mark, as at 10am.

In Kota Marudu, the relief centres in Pekan Lama Tandek, Kampung Marudu Laut, Kampung Marudu Darat, St Theresa hall, Kampung Asin-Asin, Kampung Baliajung and Kampung Tandek Laut had been closed as all the 919 evacuees had returned home.

A district flood operations room spokesman said 1,596 people from 311 families were still being sheltered at other relief centres in the district.

Beaufort still had 334 evacuees from Kampung Jimpanga, Kampung Bakalau, Kampung Melati, Kampung Melalugus, Kampung Bingkul, Kampung Betandok Lubak, Kampung Beringin Gadong and Kampung Bangkalalak.

Sixty-eight villages in the district are still under between 0.5m and 2m of water despite the level in Sungai Padas having receded to 8.99m, but is still at the danger level, as at 9am.

Twelve villages are still cut off due to flooded roads. They included Kampung Bingkul, Kampung Bakalau, Kampung Melalugus, Kampung Limbawang and Kampung Betandok Lubak.

Police, meanwhile, said it was not true a state of emergency had been declared in Johor.

PM Abdullah Badawiis monitoring the floods closely from afar, said Syed Hamid Albar.

He said he had given a report to the prime minister on the situation in the state, especially Kota Tinggi, after the second wave of floods hit the state in less than a month.

MedicAsia is calling medical doctors and those trained in healthcare to come forward and lend a hand. The NGO is also working with Yayasan Salam and members of the 4x4 club in providing relief to flood victims. The advantage of working with a small NGO is clear - decision making is fast. They are nimble and can move without too much hassle.

Those who wish to render their services can register here or e mail ahmad@aatsb.net. Please remember that is a voluntary exercise and not a tour of flooded areas. If you have some experience in disaster management, that will be an advantage.

Our fellow countrymen are in need of dire help. Let's lend them a hand.

- Ahmad A Talib (Pahit Manis)

Source : Ahmad A. Talib

Flood Updates

As of 3pm today, 107 TNB substations resumed supplying electricity to Segamat and some areas in Ulu Tiram, Sg Tiram, Simpang Renggam and Kluang.

However, 141 substations remained shut, with the most badly hit district being Kota Tinggi, where almost half the 70 substations affected were submerged under water.

Other areas where substations are not operating include Batu Pahat (28), Kluang (23), Mersing (12), Johor Baru (5), and Pontian (3).

SAJ Holdings Sdn Bhd corporate communications chief Jamaluddin Jamil assured the public that water supply in the state was stable and that there was no cause for worry.

Water treatment plants in Sg Johor, Kota Tinggi and Yong Peng have resumed operations, with only two plants in Mersing remaining shut.

Water supply to Taman Rinting, Kota Puteri, Megah Ria, Masai and Seri Alam is expected to resumed by Mon evening, after the completion of repairs work on a burst water pipe in Flora Heights, Masai on Jan 13.

Meanwhile, a total of 107 schools used as relief centres in Sabah and Johor will be closed with immediate effect to ensure that the needs of floods victims are looked after properly.

Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said that since the relief centres were overcrowded, it was better that teaching and learning activities be stopped completely until conditions improved.

"We want to focus on the needs of the flood victims. Previously, we allowed students in exam classes to come to schools used as relief centres but we have decided to stop this,'' he said.

Of the schools affected, 106 are in Johor with only one school being used as a relief centre in Sabah.

"The situation being what it is, let's concentrate on the flood victims, and let schools be a haven for flood victims, Hishammuddin told reporters after overseeing the packing of contributions made by Ministry staff to the flood victims.

Meanwhile, 20 schools in Sabah and 41 schools in Johor were under water, 12 schools in Sabah and 28 schools in Johor were cut off while 33 schools in Sabah and 13 schools in Johor were closed.

The most affected district in Johor is Batu Pahat with 16 schools under water, 44 schools being used as relief centers and one school closed.

On whether school fees for flood victims would be abolished totally, Hishammuddin said that it would depend on the situation.

"Schools have been asked to defer payment of school fees from flood victims for six months. Funds from the Poor Students Trust Fund can also be used,'' he said.

The Malaysian Meteorological Department said in a statement today that although the north-east monsoon over the South China Sea was still active, the heavy rain occurring in Johor and south-east Pahang was expected to ease.

In Pahang, flood victims evacuated to relief centres continued to rise to 3,409 from 2,638 recorded this morning.

In JOHOR, a spokesman of the state police contingent headquarters flood operations room said that as of 2pm, there were 103,577 victims from 23,541 families staying at 320 evacuation centres throughout the state.

The spokesman said 39,032 victims from 8,805 families were being accommodated at 124 relief centres in Batu Pahat.

In Kluang, there were 14,471 flood victims, Johor Baharu south (10,125), Johor Baharu north (2,754), Kota Tinggi (12,206), Segamat (5,020), Mersing (8,413), Muar (5,364) and Pontian (4,192).

Ninety-three temporary relief centres had been closed down so far.

Kota Tinggi town was still under one metre of water when Sungai Johor overflowed its banks, resulting in the district being cut off from Johor Baharu and Mersing.

The roads which were still closed to traffic were Jalan Seelong-Ulu Tiram, KM3 Jalan Ulu Choh-Gelang Patah, KM32 Bandar Tenggara, KM24 Jalan Kota Tinggi-Kulai, KM26 Kota Tinggi-Kulai near Sungai Telor, KM40 Kota Tinggi-Johor Baharu at Kampung Batu 23, Jalan Tun Sri Lanang at Bandar Tenggara, KM24 Jalan Mawai at Jalan Tun Habab and KM68.8 Jalan Kota Tinggi.

In Pahang, a spokesman of the flood operations room of the state contingent police headquarters said 757 families from 12 villages had been evacuated.

In Batu Pahat, the weather was fine throughout the day.

Najib Advises Flood Victims To Be Wary Of Water-Borne Diseases

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak, Monday advised flood victims to be wary of and take precautions against contagious water-borne diseases.

He said various water-borne diseases could spread during floods, including leptospirosis -- a disease caused by water contaminated by the urine of rats.

Precautionary measures should be adopted following the death of two people from leptospirosis in Johor last Saturday, he told reporters during a visit to the flood relief centre at Sekolah Menengah Tanjung Gemok, here. He was accompanied by Rompin Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Dr Jamaludin Jarjis.

Najib said he had directed the Health Ministry to monitor the health of flood victims and help prevent the spread of contagious diseases.

"The people are advised to adhere to the instructions of the Health Ministry to help check the spread of diseases," he added.

Malaysia flood help Johor