Thousands of people have been displaced by a second wave of flooding in Peninsular Malaysia. Parts of neighbouring Thailand have also been affected. Meanwhile more flooding in East Malaysia has prompted evacuations in the state of Sabah on the island of Borneo.
Peninsular Malaysia
A second wave of flooding has affected parts of Peninsular Malaysia, just a few days after many had returned home from flooding that began in early December, when 2 people died and 15,000 were displaced.
As of 20 December 2,058 people had moved from their homes to evacuation centres in Pasir Mas and Jeli. Dozens of villages are under flood water as deep as 1.5 metres. Local observers reported that the flooding was sudden and flood waters rose rapidly.
The Golok river in Pasir Mas has exceeded danger levels, standing at 10.32 (danger is 9m) as of 20 December. Tanah Merah district recorded 288mm of rain in 24 hours on 18 December. Kampung Air Bol in Jeli recorded 186mm during the same period.
In the neighbouring of Pahang, around 316 people have been displaced by flooding in Temerloh district. The Pahang river in Temerloh reached 29.72 metres on 18 December, above alert level of 29 metres.
Thailand
Flooding has also affected Yala and Narathiwat provinces in southern Thailand.
In Narathiwat floods affected over 60,000 people in Sukhirin, Si Sakhon, Waeng, Rueso, Ra-ngae and Su-ngai Kolok districts, according to Thailand’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation. Around 250 people were evacuated. This is the second wave of flooding in the last few weeks. Flooding in late November affected over 60,000 in the province.
In Yala province, flooding was reported in the districts of Yaha, Bannang Sata, Krong Pinang and Raman in. Around 6,000 people have been affected and roads have been cut. As many as 200 people have evacuated their homes along the Sai Buri River after the river broke its banks.
East Malaysia
Meanwhile in East Malaysia, further flooding has affected parts of Sabah State, where around 800 people have moved to evacuation centres in Tenom district. Some evacuations were also reported in Beaufort and Keningau.
Flooding in Sabah state earlier this month prompted around 300 people to evacuate.
