More than 122,000 people have been displaced as severe floods, triggered by relentless rainfall, swept through Malaysia’s northern states, disaster management officials reported on Saturday.
The number of evacuees has surpassed the 118,000 recorded during one of the country’s worst floods in 2014, with officials warning that the figure could rise further as heavy downpours show no sign of abating.
The death toll remains at four, with fatalities reported across Kelantan, Terengganu, and Sarawak.
Kelantan has been the hardest-hit state, accounting for 63% of the 122,631 displaced individuals, according to the National Disaster Management Agency. Nearly 35,000 people have been evacuated in Terengganu, with the remainder of the displacements spread across seven other states.
Heavy rain, which began earlier this week, continues to batter Pasir Puteh in Kelantan, where streets are submerged in waist-deep water.
“My area has been flooded since Wednesday. The water has already reached my house’s corridor and is just two inches away from entering,” said Pasir Puteh resident Zamrah Majid, a 59-year-old school janitor, speaking to AFP.
Fortunately, Zamrah had moved her two cars to higher ground before the water level rose. She allowed her grandchildren to play in the shallow water outside but expressed concerns about their safety if it rose further.
“I haven’t received any assistance yet, whether welfare or other forms of aid,” she added.
Another resident, Muhammad Zulkarnain, 27, said his neighbourhood was cut off.
“There’s no way in or out for vehicles to access my area,” he told AFP over the phone. “Of course, I’m scared… Fortunately, NGOs have provided food supplies like biscuits, instant noodles, and eggs.”
The Malaysian Meteorological Department has warned that heavy rains are expected to persist in Kelantan, Terengganu, and Perak until Sunday.
Flooding is an annual occurrence in Malaysia, a Southeast Asian nation of 34 million, due to the northeast monsoon, which brings heavy rainfall from November to March.
Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who heads the National Disaster Management Committee, said thousands of emergency personnel have been deployed to flood-prone areas. Rescue boats, four-wheel-drive vehicles, and helicopters are being used to assist affected communities.