Floods caused by heavy rains in Malaysia have taken a terrible shape. Lakhs of people in nine states have been evacuated to safer places in the wake of the situation. So far three people have been killed in floods in different places.
The online portal of the National Disaster Command Center said on Friday that 94,778 people from 28,000 families have been shifted to 527 temporary shelters across nine states. Kelatan state in northeastern Malaysia, bordering Thailand, was the worst hit. There, 63 thousand 761 people have been evacuated from their homes to safe places. Then there is the neighboring state of Terengganu where 22,511 people have been evacuated to safer places.
Besides, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said that all the members of the Council of Ministers have been banned from going on vacation and they have been ordered to help the flood-affected areas.
Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, head of the Disaster Management Organization, said Thursday that this year’s floods are expected to be worse than the 2014 floods. That year, more than 50,000 people were displaced and 21 people lost their lives.
Local media quoted him as saying that the weather forecast indicated that more states would be hit by heavy rains in the coming months.
The New Straits Times newspaper quoted Zahid as saying government agencies are ready to deal with the disaster.
He said about 83 thousand people, thousands of boats, four wheelers, life jackets and 31 helicopters have been kept ready.
The government has identified 8,481 temporary shelters across the country where more than two million people can be sheltered.