M'sia collaborates with Thailand to monitor flood situation in border areas - Shahidan

Malaysia will continue collaborating with Thailand to monitor the current flood situation at border areas, especially in Pasir Mas and Tumpat in Kelantan, as well as in Narathiwat, Thailand.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim said all this while, the government had been keeping in touch with the security agency in Thailand to learn about the flood situation.

"There is public concern, especially among the people in Pasir Mas and Tumpat, about the flood situation in Narathiwat, and the government has been keeping in touch with the Thai security agency to monitor the disaster situation there.

"Besides, Malaysian border officials are sending in reports about the situation from time to time," he told reporters after visiting flood victims at the relief centre at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Seri Rantau Panjang 2 here today.

Also present were National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) director Datuk Zaitun Ab Samad and Kelantan Fire and Rescue Department director Azmi Osman.

Yesterday, Governor of Narathiwat Sittichai Sakda was reported as saying that continuous rain over the past four days had caused floods in 10 out of 13 districts in the province, affecting 23,549 residents from 150 villages.

As such, Shahidan said members of various rescue agencies and their assets in the northern states had been instructed to be in the state of full preparedness to provide assistance to the victims should the situation worsen.

"Deputy Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi) is also monitoring the situation right now," he added. - BERNAMA