More people have been evacuated in other areas of Malaysia as a result of the flooding in Johor

With the number of evacuees gradually increasing on Saturday, Johor became the latest Malaysian state to be affected by floods (Jan 1).

As about 4 p.m., over 1,000 individuals had been evacuated.
After a steady downpour since Friday night, nearly 20 aid centres have been established in two districts: Segamat and Tangkat.

Apart from Johor, the number of people fleeing floodwaters in Pahang, Melaka, and Negeri Sembilan increased on Saturday as the four states brace for additional rain.

The Malaysian Meteorological Department has issued an orange signal, predicting rain in those states till Monday.

According to State Health and Environment Committee chairman R Vidyananthan, three rivers in Johor – Sungai Segamat, Sungai Muar, and Sungai Tangkak – have already reached unsafe levels.

According to the Drainage and Irrigation Department's InfoBanjir webpage, the waters in three other rivers in Pahang and two in Negeri Sembilan have also reached unsafe levels.

Since December 17, floods in Malaysia have forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes due to extremely high rainfall that triggered flooding in numerous states.

GOVERNMENT SEEKING LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS

Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said on Saturday that authorities are concentrating on finding comprehensive long-term solutions to the flood problem, despite criticism of the government's poor response to the floods last month.

Once the post-flood efforts are completed, he said, this would be the principal agenda of the National Disaster Management Committee.
State governments, government departments and organisations, as well as professionals in related sectors, are anticipated to participate in the project.

Mr Ismail Sabri said after presenting aid under a flood relief programme in Pahang, "We will seek out and discuss whatever modules are suitable to resolve this problem, and if it cannot be implemented simultaneously throughout the country, focus will be given to districts or areas at high risk of flooding."

"A long-term strategy comes at a high price, but it helps the government save money each time it floods."
We have spent RM1.4 billion (US$335 million) on aid alone so far, and this figure is projected to rise because the entire report on damage has not yet been received," he said.

Mr Ismail Sabri stated that the plan for long-term solutions was considered during the Barisan Nasional administration, but that it was not carried out.

More flood mitigation initiatives, such as those in Kedah, and construction projects like Kuala Lumpur's SMART Tunnel for flood management in high-risk metropolitan areas like Shah Alam in Selangor, he said, are possible solutions.

"We can reexamine the flood resettlement programme initiated in the 1970s for low-lying communities that are prone to floods."
Mr Ismail Sabri stated, "This necessitates conversations with state governments to identify suitable high terrain, and the federal government can assist in terms of allocations."

The prime minister stated that methods used in other countries, such as the "sponge city" concept used in China to assist reduce the flow of floodwaters or the Dutch river dikes, could be examined if they are suited for Malaysia.