Heavy downpours since Friday (17 Dec) have caused rivers to overflow, submerging many urban areas and cutting off major roads, stranding thousands of motorists.
What happened
The widespread flooding seen in many states in Malaysia in the last three days was caused by one-in-a-100-year heavy rainfall. Heavy rains started falling on Friday (17 Dec) but were most intense on Saturday (18 Dec). More than 34,000 people have been displaced after torrential rains caused severe flooding in eight states – Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Selangor, Perak and Kuala Lumpur.
The National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma), the army, the police, and other local government agencies were deployed to conduct evacuations, establish emergency shelters and evacuation centres, and provide disaster relief. NGOs and ordinary citizens also rushed to provide aid in the form of food and supplies to those stranded by the floods, especially in Shah Alam and Klang.
Dozens of residents in Setia Alam and Bukit Raja, as well as Meru in Klang, had to spend the night in their cars on Friday (Dec 17) night when roads to their homes were flooded due to downpours since Friday morning. Motorists were also stranded on highways, including the Kuala Lumpur-Karak Highway and Kesas Highway, due to landslides and floods. Train and bus services were suspended.
Basement car parks in multiple locations were almost completely submerged, while victims in some areas saw their homes flooded up to the second floor.
Warning signs
On Saturday (18 Dec), the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) issued a continuous rain warning for most areas in Peninsular Malaysia, which included a red alert to warn Klang Valley residents of heavy and persistent rainfall throughout the day. The National Hydrographic Centre also posted an advisory on Twitter on Saturday warning of strong winds and heavy rain over the west coast of Malaysia and the Malacca Straits due to a tropical depression, otherwise known as a tropical cyclone.
Government aid
A total of 220 temporary evacuation centres (PPS) have been opened to help victims at the flood-affected locations.
Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz announced that the government has provided a total allocation of RM200 million in efforts to address the impact of floods and activation of all disaster networks of Government-Linked Investment Companies (GLICs) and Government-linked companies (GLCs).
Each household affected by the North-east Monsoon or other natural disasters declared by the Central Disaster Management Committee will receive RM1,000 in financial aid.
Why did this happen
While preparations to deal with the floods had been made in states like Kelantan, Pahang and Terengganu, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said late on Saturday that Selangor had been caught off guard.
Selangor’s flood mess is due to poorly planned development having an adverse effect on the surroundings. Besides that, some state-appointed contractors, to cut costs, also paid little heed to drainage and flood mitigation facets.
Climate change is also a factor that will worsen flooding in Malaysia. Climate change will exacerbate extreme flood events but may decrease the number of moderate floods. Malaysia also has an abysmal rating when it comes to having climate-resilient infrastructures, effective warning and evacuation systems to cope with extreme weather events.
Recent flood history
In November 2017, hours of torrential rain caused flash flooding in Penang, which killed at least seven people. Three years before that, in December 2014, Malaysia faced its worst monsoon flood, which affected more than 500,000 people across several states and caused extensive damage to infrastructure.
Call for assistance
Apart from contacting the NDCC at 03-8064 2400, affected residents can reach out to several other avenues for assistance.
Selangor Disaster Management Unit: 03-5035 0920
Klang City Council: 03-3374 8845
Shah Alam City Council: 03-5522 2787
Kuala Langat City Council: 03-3182 2566
Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital: 03-3323 9478
Klang Health District Office: 03-3323 9554
PDRM Klang Selatan: 03-3372 2222
PDRM Klang Utara: 03-3291 3344
Welfare Department: 03-3341 3703
Works Department : 03-3371 4040
Selangor Drainage and Irrigation Department: 03-3371 2464
Civil Defence Force: 03-3371 0820
