JOHOR BARU • More than 1,000 people have been forced to leave their homes after floods hit various states in Malaysia yesterday, with the weatherman predicting more rain to come in the annual northeast monsoon.
Johor, which has suffered heavy downpours since Sunday evening, saw the number of flood victims rise to 371 yesterday morning, with most of those affected from the Mersing district.
State Health, Environment, Education and Information committee chairman Ayub Rahmat said that 95 families had been evacuated from their homes.
"Mersing is the worst hit with 337 people seeking shelter at seven flood relief centres," said Datuk Ayub. A further 34 flood evacuees are at relief centres in Kota Tinggi.
Three primary schools in the Kluang district were also affected.
Roads leading to two schools - Sekolah Kebangsaan Ladang Mutiara and Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Sedohok - were cut off by the floods yesterday, while Sekolah Kebangsaan Punan was completely shut down, said Mr Ayub.
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371
Number of flood victims in Johor as of yesterday morning.
677
Total number of flood victims evacuated from Pahang as of yesterday afternoon.
Floods also affected Malaysia's eastern state of Pahang, forcing 11 schools to remain closed yesterday, the first day of the new school year.
Pahang acting director of education Tajuddin Mohd Yunus said the schools were located in the districts of Kuantan, Pekan and Jerantut, and were closed because floodwaters had inundated their grounds or cut off their access roads.
"In Kuantan alone, nine schools, with over 1,000 students and 140 teachers, were unable to begin the new school year," said Dr Tajuddin. He said the schools would open after the floodwaters receded and that parents would be kept informed of developments.
A total of 677 flood victims were evacuated from Pahang as of yesterday, with Rompin district bearing the brunt of the rising waters.
Pahang Civil Defence Force director Zainal Yusof said 389 people from 104 families were evacuated to six relief centres in Rompin.
Another 233 people from Dungun, a coastal district in Terengganu, were moved to evacuation centres yesterday morning.
The east coast of Malaysia is set to see more flooding after the Kelantan irrigation department warned that floods are expected to strike six districts in the state's river basin at about 1am today.
The department's director Kamal Mustapha said the districts set to be hit are Gua Musang, Kuala Krai, Machang, Pasir Mas, Tanah Merah and Tumpat.
He said that the department's forecast was made after more than 240mm of rain fell in the Gunung Gagau area of Gua Musang over the past two days.
THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK, BERNAMA
