JOHOR BARU • The flood situation in Pahang and Johor appeared to be easing yesterday, with fewer flood evacuees reported in the two worst-hit states in Malaysia.
Continuous rainfall over the past few days forced the evacuation of more than 1,300 people in the southern state of Johor.
There were 1,365 people in shelters as at 5pm yesterday, compared with 1,374 people in the afternoon, said state health, environment, education and information committee chairman Ayub Rahmat in a statement.
The worst-hit districts were Mersing, Kota Tinggi and Segamat. The victims were housed in 13 evacuation centres.
Datuk Ayub said Jalan Telok Arung in Mersing was still closed due to a landslide, and advised motorists to use Jalan Tanjung Resang-Jalan Mersing or Endau-Jalan Air Papan as alternatives.
Access to Kampung Batu 7 in Jementah, Segamat, was also cut off due to floodwaters.
He said a school in Kluang still could not reopen for the afternoon session because of floodwaters that cut off access to the building.
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FLOOD FIGURES
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PAHANG
1,532
People in 14 shelters in Pekan and Rompin.
JOHOR
1,365
People in 13 shelters in Mersing, Segamat and Kota Tinggi.
SARAWAK
30
People evacuated in Sebuyau.
Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar paid a surprise visit to flood relief centres in Mersing yesterday.
He chatted with the victims and distributed food to them.
The flood situation in the state of Pahang also eased slightly, with the number of evacuees dipping to 1,532 people as at 5pm yesterday, compared with 1,646 people earlier in the afternoon.
They were being sheltered at 14 evacuation centres in the districts of Pekan and Rompin.
The relief centres in Kuantan closed yesterday as conditions improved enough for people to return to their homes.
In Putrajaya, drainage and irrigation department director-generalMd Nasir Md Noh said a flood mitigation project was expected to commence in Rompin next year.
In Sarawak, the number of flood evacuees fell as floodwaters receded yesterday.
Only 30 people remained at the relief centre in Sebuyau, about 100km from the state capital Kuching, as at 8pm, compared with 98 people yesterday afternoon.
Land subsidence was reported yesterday morning near a longhouse in Sarikei district in central Sarawak.
A portion of the gravel road leading to the Rumah Jawa Kerubong longhouse had caved in.
The 124 longhouse residents have been warned that they will have to leave their homes if the rain continues as soil erosion has weakened the foundation of their longhouse.
BERNAMA, THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
