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Flood situation improves in Shah Alam as waters recede; number of evacuees in several states drops

Flood situation improves in Shah Alam as waters recede; number of evacuees in several states drops
Malaysia's worst floods in years have caused widespread damage, including the densely populated area of Shah Alam, Selangor (Photo: AFP/Arif KARTONO)

KUALA LUMPUR: The flood situation was reported to be improving in Shah Alam, Selangor, on Wednesday (Dec 22) with water level in the badly hit areas starting to subside, local media reported.

Authorities have begun to pump out flood waters in Taman Sri Muda, Shah Alam, since Tuesday.

Bernama reported that the process was running smoothly despite heavy downpour around Shah Alam on Wednesday morning.

“The water has receded even though it rained at 4am,” said National Disaster Management Agency director-general Aminuddin Hassim, as quoted by Bernama.

He said the Department of Irrigation and Drainage would be digging drains at several sites to speed the movement of water to the nearby river.

“Water has already subsided but there is water below 0.3m in some areas,” he said, adding that flood waters were still at about 0.6m to 1m deep in Taman Damai Section 25.

Fourteen bodies have been found in Taman Sri Muda so far following the serious floods caused by incessant heavy rain since last Friday, according to Astro Awani. 

Flood waters in the area were slow to recede because the sluice, which controls the flow of water into the river, was jammed, according to reports quoting Selangor executive councillor Izham Hashim. 

On Wednesday, the state government announced that the sluice was able to operate again with electricity restored. 

“With the sluice in operation, water will recede faster, God willing,” Chief Minister Amirudin Shari wrote on his Facebook.  

Other than Selangor, several other states in the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia such as Pahang, Negeri Sembilan and Perak, were also affected.

Death toll in both Selangor and Pahang was reported to be 34 on Tuesday. 

NUMBER OF EVACUEES DROPPED

The number of evacuees has dropped in Pahang, Selangor, Perak and Kelantan as of Wednesday noon, while the total remained unchanged in Melaka and Terengganu. 

According to Bernama, the number of flood victims seeking shelter at relief centres in Pahang fell to 38,810 from 42,529.

In Selangor, the Disaster Info portal of the Social Welfare Department reported that 21,047 evacuees were being housed at 117 relief centres, down from 23,633 evacuees at 128 relief centres.

Victims have complained that the government has been slow to act, and Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob admitted that there were weaknesses in coordination efforts.   

In a statement posted on Istana Negara’s Facebook page on Tuesday, Malaysian King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah urged the government agencies to be more proactive in rescue and aid efforts.

The king also asked the people to pray for a quick end to the floods and inclement weather hitting the country, Bernama reported. 

Meanwhile, as the impact of the flood disasters was being assessed, Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar called for the government to provide higher compensation for the victims.   

She said each four-person household requires at least RM30,000 (US$7,100) in stages to meet their multidimensional needs.  

The government has promised a cash aid of RM1,000 to each affected household. Factoring in other allocation and donation, each household was estimated to receive RM6,600. 

“One question remains – is this estimated RM6,600 per household enough?” she said, calling on the National Recovery Council to look into the next step to assist the 71,000 individuals affected by the floods.

Source: Agencies/ih(tx)

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