Approximately 26,000 people in four Malaysian states have been taken away from their homes for protection reasons and want shelter due to worsening flood conditions, according to Malaysia’s Department of Social Welfare. Numbers on the department’s flood information website revealed around 25,900 flood victims at 211 relief centres in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Selangor as at 7pm on Dec 26.
People in east coast states Kelantan and Terengganu comprised the bulk of the flood victims, with approximately 15,400 and 10,100 people, respectively, from around 8,000 families at the temporary relief centres. Kelantan chief of police Zaki Harun said in a statement on Dec 25 that there had been three flood-related cases of child casualties in the state’s districts of Kubang Kerian and Pasir Mas.
He urged the public to be aware of children’s security and save them from playing in the water without supervision. Roads in several of the state’s districts were closed to motor vehicles. Datuk Zaki added that young people were not encouraged from riding motorcycles to regions impacted by the floods. Whilst downpour had halted in some regions in Kelantan and Terengganu on Dec 26, many rivers were still flagged by the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources to be at dangerously high water levels as at 7pm.