People in Kelantan, Terengganu get ready to face more floods

KUALA LUMPUR: People in the flood-prone areas of Kelantan and Terengganu have taken all the necessary precautions to face a possible second or third wave of the floods.

They have taken heed of a report yesterday that the flood forecast model of the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) indicated flooding in several areas in the two states on Dec 30 and 31.

In KELANTAN, a check at several villages in the Rantau Panjang District, such as Kampung Bukit Lata, Kampung Lachang, Kampung Terusan, Kampung Lubok Gong and Kampung Siram, showed that the residents were aware of the latest flood warning.

Mustapa Junoh, 60, a resident of Kampung Terusan, said the villagers had to be ready to face the next wave of floods because the recent first wave had left pools of stagnant water in the village.

"The people have boats at the ready should they need to use them. They have parked their vehicles on high ground as a precautionary measure," he told Bernama today.

The DID said it had issued the alert following a significant weather forecast by the Meteorological Department of Malaysia (MetMalaysia) for the period Dec 25 to 31.

Kamal Mat Yatim, 51, of Kampung Siram said he knew from experience that the second or third wave of floods would be more severe than the first.

Zawiah Mohd Zain, 60, a resident of Kampung Lubok Gong, said she has to be very alert because her village is just 50 metres from Sungai Golok which usually bursts its banks during the monsoon.

In TERENGGANU, more than 1,000 residents of six villages in the Dungun District have been advised to take the necessary precautions to face the subsequent wave or waves of floods.

State Disaster Management Committee Secretariat chief Lt Col (PA) Mohd Rosman Abdullah identified the villages as Kampung Pasir Raja, Kampung Syukur, Kampung Jongok Batu, Kampung Minda, Kampung Jerangau and Kampung Kuala Jengai.

"It is most important to save valuables. The safety of children must be given priority to prevent any untoward incident.

"The secretariat has made preparations, involving 252 officers and 2,509 personnel from six agencies," he told reporters at a blood donation programme.

The agencies are the Royal Malaysia Police; Civil Defence Force; Fire and Rescue Department; Malaysian Armed Forces; People's Volunteer Corps and Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency.

Mohd Rosman said Terengganu would be able to make use of 120 four-wheel-drive vehicles, 61 lorries, three buses, 49 vans, 22 ambulances, 156 boats, 166 boat engines, 1,893 safety jackets, 84 tents and 129 generator sets during the floods.

He also said that security authorities had been deployed in the other seven districts as well.

-- BERNAMA