Brace for floods from now until March – Ahmad Zahid

JELI: Residents in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Sabah and Sarawak must be prepared to face the possibility of the flood occurring in January until March.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said this was because normally the floods during the monsoon season would hit from December, but this time, it started this month.

“In preparing for the monsoon season expected to occur during these three months, residents in the affected states must be prepared to face the possibility of the floods,” he said at a meeting with the flood victims at the evacuation centre at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Ayer Lanas, here yesterday.

A total of 239 victims from 56 families were now being placed at SMK Ayer Lanas since yesterday.

Also present were Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim and Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development Datuk Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub.

Ahmad Zahid said the Federal Government would continue to monitor and assist the five states to be led by Shahidan.

“Regardless of their political inclination, we will give aid to all the people affected in a fair manner,” he said.

Meanwhile, he said the government had formed the National Disaster Management Agency ( Nadma) to manage a particular disaster in a more organised manner via the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) provided.

He said the disaster management would be further strengthened by the involvement of other departments and agencies related to disasters. — Bernama