30,000 people have been displaced by Malaysia's worst flooding in years

[ASEAN NOW Content Team]

 

In Malaysia, more than 30,000 people have been forced to flee their homes due to the country's worst floods in years.

The tropical nation in Southeast Asia is prone to rainy monsoon seasons near the end of the year, with flooding causing major evacuations on a regular basis.

Rains have caused rivers to overflow since Friday, flooding numerous metropolitan areas and blocking off important routes, stranding thousands of motorists.

 

On an official government website, more than 30,000 individuals have been relocated across eight states and territories, with more than 14,000 of them in Pahang, Malaysia's heartland state.

Selangor, the country's richest state, which surrounds the capital, Kuala Lumpur, saw nearly 10,000 people flee their houses, with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob expressing surprise at the extreme floods.

"The quantity of rain that poured in Selangor yesterday... what would normally fall in a month happened in one day," he said at a press briefing on Sunday.

 

The prime minister promised immediate assistance to flood victims, as well as an initial investment of 100 million ringgit (£17.9 million) to restore damaged homes and infrastructure.

On Sunday afternoon, water levels in six states exceeded unsafe levels, according to a government website.

As the floodwaters receded from the capital, shop owners returned to their establishments to repair the damage caused by the downpours.

 

The owner of a tourist information centre and souvenir shop, Lee Joon Kee, said he had only recently reopened after being closed for nearly two years due to coronavirus restrictions.

"It's a pity, but we don't have a choice."
The only option is to go on and clear up the mess, after which we shall begin our new chapter."

Hundreds of bus lines in and around the capital, as well as train services to the port city of Klang, have been halted.

 

Three water treatment plants in Selangor were also shut down, leaving tens of thousands of people without water in sections of the state as well as the capital.

In 2014, Malaysia saw its worst flooding in decades, causing 118,000 people to abandon their homes.