Floods: Rescue efforts focused on Sri Muda area - Reezal Merican

SHAH ALAM: A total of 321 personnel, including from the Fire and Rescue Department, police, army and related agencies have been mobilised to immediately evacuate flood victims in Taman Sri Muda, Section 25, near here, today.

Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican said the area, which has about 4,400 houses, was the main focus of the personnel carrying out rescue efforts and evacuation of flood victims.

"Apart from that, the assets we have here include 41 rescue boats and this does not include boats from non-governmental bodies.

"Rescue efforts are quite difficult and there are also homes where water is stagnant. However, efforts to distribute food are going on," he told a media conference in Taman Sri Muda today.

Reezal Merican said that since Taman Sri Muda was often hit by floods, preparations to evacuate the residents had been done much earlier.

He also confirmed that a bus had been placed nearby as a preparation to transfer the victims.

"Yes, but some are willing to move, some do not want to move for fear of COVID-19 infections. Some victims refuse to be evacuated as they think that the water level will subside," he said.

He added that there were also flood victims who did not want to be moved to the temporary evacuation centres and, instead, asked for food aid to be channelled to them.

"Some sit on the roof of their houses and, when the rescuers reach them, they say they only want food," he said.

Apart from assets in Selangor, the fire and rescue department would also mobilise its assets from the Federal Territory and other states that were not affected by the floods.

Meanwhile, he said three temporary relief centres had been opened for the flood victims in Sri Muda while another three were being prepared to accommodate new evacuees.

-- BERNAMA