Malaysian floods kill 4 people, forced 40,000 to flee their homes

• Rescue efforts are underway in Malaysia following seasonal.
• A man was trapped in a car that was swept away by rising floodwaters.
• Malaysian Meteorological Department experts have warned that the rainy weather could last until April.

Rescue efforts are underway in Malaysia following seasonal floods that killed at least four people and displaced over 40,000.

A man who became trapped in a car that was swept away by rising floodwaters was among the deaths confirmed Saturday by state authorities in Johor.

Rescue workers and volunteers in towns across the southern state captured footage of people stranded on rooftops as their homes submerged.

Rescuers were seen wading chest-deep in some areas to save people trapped in their homes, according to reports. One rescue worker was seen carrying a baby to safety in a bucket.

Other reports showed flooded roads and forests, as well as vehicles submerged in mud.

Malaysia is vulnerable to seasonal floods, as are many of its Southeast Asian neighbours. Since February, Singapore has experienced heavy torrential rains.

Malaysia experienced its worst floods in decades in 2021, resulting in 54 deaths and the mobilisation of the army. The widespread floods that year devastated eight states and overtaxed emergency services across the country, prompting criticism of the government’s response.

The annual monsoon season in the country began in November, and people have been evacuating their homes since at least December.

Johor, Malaysia’s second most populous state, has been hit the hardest by this season’s floods, with a population of 4 million people. According to officials, tens of thousands of its residents have now relocated to relief centres in schools and community halls.

Malaysian Meteorological Department experts have warned that the rainy weather could last until April.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim issued an update from Johor on Sunday after visiting survivors and evacuees, saying that floods were a pressing issue for the country and that mitigation projects would be expedited.

“This matter (of floods) cannot be delayed and should be dealt with more seriously so that it does not happen again,” he said in a tweet.

Members of the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA), a youth-led political party with a strong presence in Johor, advised residents to accept assistance from rescue organisations and warned them against “waiting too long” to evacuate their homes.

“River water levels are still high and it’s predicted to rain heavily again,” said Amira Aisya Abdul Aziz, the group’s deputy president. “Don’t wait too long if water levels start to rise. Move to safer areas as soon as possible.”

“Remember: Your lives are more valuable than your belongings,” she added.

Amira stated that the country needed to address its flooding issues immediately because it could not afford to experience so many disasters “in such a short period of time.”

Pot Phoon Hua, 61, a worker at a local biscuit and coffee factory in Batu Pahat, told that the rain had not stopped. He expressed concern about several missing friends and relatives and predicted that the flood’s aftermath would be disastrous. “We are helpless,” Pot admitted.

“Everyone is pitching in but the force of the weather is too great. There is only so much we can do. The government can deploy many teams and workers to help but at the end of the day, Malaysians are just at the mercy of nature.”

Also Read

Malaysia landslide kills at least 23 people

The incident happened in Batang Kali, Selangor, north of the capital on...