PM visits flood zone
Malaysiakini.com
Dec 23, 2006

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi visited the flood-stricken south today as the country struggled to cope with torrential rains that have forced almost 90,000 people to flee their homes.

Abdullah went to Johor to meet victims and inspect damage, as newspaper reports said the death toll from the floods had risen to seven, with the death of a 90-year-old woman, whose body was found floating in her home.

According to Bernama, he advised the victims to be patient and to place their safety above everything else.

He said that some might be unhappy with what was happening to their houses but in a situation like this, the important thing was their lives and they should evacuate when told to do so by the authorities.

"We want to ensure that everyone gets to return home safely," he told reporters.

Abdullah said the government had arranged to send aid like food supply and other necessities to the victims.

The Health Department would also ensure the health of the flood evacuees at the relief centres by inoculating them.

The rains, which started a week ago in Johor, Pahang, Malacca and Negeri Sembilan states in south and central Malaysia, have now spread to northeastern Kelantan and Terengganu states, swamping entire towns and villages.

The New Straits Times said that thousands of evacuees were sheltering in state relief centres that had been cut off from land transport and are running out of essential supplies.

The Civil Defense Department's chief of disaster management, Che Moin Umar, said that enough food had been gathered for those in flood shelters.

"However, there are flood victims who are stranded or in places which are inaccessible. And they do not have any mode of communication. We are trying to get bigger assault boats from the navy," he told the daily.

Looting and extortion

The Star daily said there were also reports of looting and extortion by uniformed personnel who asked for money before rescuing victims.

According to Bernama, the number of flood evacuees in Johor has rose to 73,979 this morning with Muar district having the most people evacuated.

A spokesman of the Johor Social Welfare Department said 14,843 families from 232 villages were now taking shelter at 341 relief centres.

A total of 21,620 flood victims in Muar were at 91 relief centes as at 8am, he told Bernama.

Kota Tinggi had 13,112 evacuees in 27 centres, Kluang (11,766), Segamat (9,356), Johor Baharu (8,373), Batu Pahat (5,324), Pontian (3,866) and Mersing (562).

In Pahang, the number of flood evacuees rose to 5,113, including 471 new victims in Pekan who were evacuated last night.

A Pekan flood operations room spokesperson said 457 of the new evacuees were from Kampung Bebar while the rest were from Kampung Kuala Pahang dan Kampung Mencupu.

Meanwhile, the 14 flood relief centres in Kuantan recorded an increase of evacuees to 2,987 from 2,502 last night while the 15 centres in Rompin now have 1,639, an increase of seven victims from last night.

A Rompin flood operations room spokesman said only Sungai Kampung Kadak near Jalan Muadzam Shah-Segamat recorded a rise in water leverl to 13.75m.

In Maran, the flood situation remained the same with 16 victims evacuated from Kampung Ulu Luit and Kampung Bak Bak.

Terengganu and Kelantan

In Terrenganu, 222 floods victims from Kuala Terengganu and Kemaman districts were still at the relief centres as at 8am compared with 239 last night.

A state police flood operations room spokesman said 191 of the evacuees were from Kampung Kuala Ibai, Kuala Terengganu, and 31 from Kampung Teladas Kemaman and many of them, especially those from Kemaman, were expected to be allowed to return home if the weather continued to improve today.

He said many of the state roads had been closed to all traffic but the federal roads had not been affected so far.

Meanwhile, in Kelantan, the situation in the flood- hit areas was improving with no evacuations last night.

A state flood operations room spokesman said the remaining 32 victims in Gua Musang returned home yesterday.

He said the water levels of major rivers in the state remained at the alert level and if the fine weather since last night continued, the level might drop further.

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