Country Ready For Likely Worst Floods In Decades

PUTRAJAYA, Nov 4 (Bernama) -- As rain continues to fall daily throughout the country and the wet season of the Northeast Monsoon begins to set in, the authorities are bracing for the worst floods anticipated in decades. The preparations began as early as July 1, with the unprecedented floods in Thailand serving as a grim reminder of the intensity with which the natural disaster can strike. National Security Council (NSC) secretary Mohamed Thajudeen Abdul Wahab said all plans are in place and the feedback has come in from every relevant agency. "We have held meetings with the various agencies involved, such as the armed forces, social welfare department, the police and others," he told Bernama. Mohamed Thajudeen said Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin is scheduled to chair a special meeting on Nov 15. Muhyiddin had said earlier that the government is preparing to face the floods anticipated to be on a larger scale. Mohamed Thajudeen said every government agency involved will report on the plans and preparations to face the floods. He advised the people, particularly those living in flood-prone areas, to ensure their safety and listen to the advice of the authorities when the floods strike. Parents should make sure that their children are safe and do not play or swim in the floodwaters, he said. Meanwhile, Fire & Rescue Department director-general Wan Mohd Nor Ibrahim said the department was ready to render aid during the floods. He said the department had divulged its plans in facing the floods at meetings held with the various other government agencies. "The updates on our preparations will be provided at the special meeting on Nov 15 to be chaired by Muhyiddin," he said. In northern city of Kangar, some people hope that the flood forecast will turn out to be wrong because they have yet to recover from the trauma of the November 2010 and March 2011 floods which struck northern state of Perlis. Recently, Prof Dr Ibrahim Komoo, director of the Southeast Asia Disaster Prevention Research Institute at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (SEADPRI-UKM), had named Perlis as one of the places expected to face massive floods with the setting in of the Northeast Monsoon, besides Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, eastern Sarawak and Sabah. He had said that the current wet season could see 40 per cent of 880 millimetres more rain compared to last year's. Perlis Chief Minister Dr Md Isa Sabu had said that the state government has sought a supplementary allocation of RM40 million from the federal government to prepare for the floods. (US$1=RM3.15) A check by Bernama showed that work was going on to deepen and clean up rivers flowing into Sungai Perlis to ensure smooth flow of water into the sea. In Ipoh city, Perak State Secretary Dr Abdul Rahman Hashim said the state government would take proactive measures, such as evacuating people in low-lying areas just before the floods strike. He said this would make evacuation easier and reduce operational cost while saving the property of the evacuees. Dr Abdul Rahman said the state government had prepared a profile of flood-prone areas and the number of people often affected by the disaster. The state government has set up a RM100,000 disaster relief fund and instructed district officers to ensure that the drainage system in their areas is functioning smoothly. In Kuala Lumpur, the Works Ministry cautioned the people to be wary of landslide risk in view of the rainy season which it expects to prolong until early next year. In a statement, it advised all relevant agencies and the people to take precautionary measures and make inspections on the areas where landslides are likely to occur. It wanted them to clean up water drainage systems atop hills and on hillslopes, let collected water flow into drains and ensure that drains were not clogged with vegetation or refuse. "If an electric pole or a tree on a hillslope is slanting, it is a sign of imminent slope collapse," it said in a statement. The ministry advised road users and hillslope residents to report to the authorities should they detect signs of an imminent landslide, and said the residents should then move out immediately. It said it would issue a guide on signs of imminent landslides soon. Meanwhile, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar said the police had made all the necessary preparations to face the anticipated floods. "The people have nothing to fear. Flood relief aid will be mobilised immediately. The police will cooperate closely with other government departments and agencies besides monitoring all locations," he told a news conference at the Police Air Unit in Sungai Besi, here. Khalid advised flood evacuees to ensure the safety of their families, especially children, and secure important documents. In east coast city of Kuala Terengganu, state disaster relief committee chairman Mazlan Ngah advised farmers not to delay harvesting their crop until the floods set in. Mazlan, who is the state secretary, said the flood-prone plantation areas are Maras-Batu Rakit, Tembila, the banks of the Sungai Kuala Berang and Setiu, and the farmers there incurred losses of more than RM400,000 last year. In Kota Baharu city, the Civil Defence Department in Kelantan is to add 500 more personnel to its 1,000-strong force in its preparation to face the possibility of large-scale floods in the state this year. Its director, Kamaruddin Hussin, said on Thursday the personnel would be deployed to flood-prone locations such as Rantau Panjang, Tumpat, Kota Baharu, Jeli, Tanah Merah and Kuala Krai. He said the Civil Defence Department in Kelantan had 27,000 volunteers who were well trained to assist the other security forces during a disaster. -- BERNAMA Malaysia