Floods: No need to declare emergency, says MB

Terengganu MB Ahmad Razif says the current flood situation has improved.

SETIU: There is no need to declare a state of emergency in Terengganu although the number of flood evacuees has reached 11,000.

Menteri Besar Ahmad Razif Abd Rahman said this was based on the current situation which had improved. It was also different from the flood situation in late 2014, he added.

He said rescue workers also managed to evacuate flood victims and send food supplies to the relief centres on time.

“If the situation worsens, only then the state government will discuss with the relevant parties on the need to declare a state of emergency in Terengganu,” he told reporters after visiting a number of flood relief centres in Setiu district today.

Razif also visited Kampung Tasek and Kampung Buloh, which were also hit by floods.

He, however, advised the flood victims who had returned home to be cautious as the weather conditions were still uncertain at the moment.

“We see that they have taken advantage of the fine weather today to perhaps attend to certain things.

“But we don’t encourage them to spend the night at their homes and to immediately return to the relief centres as we are worried about the unpredictable situation,” Bernama reported him as saying.

The menteri besar’s arrival at the flood relief centres brought cheer to the evacuees who have sheltered there for two days now.

One of them, Hasmah Talib, 77, said she was touched by Razif’s presence despite the flooded roads to get to the relief centre she was staying at.

“I had the opportunity to chat with the menteri besar and he enquired about the condition of us senior citizens here.”

Hasmah said she was satisfied with the food and other things provided at the relief centre.

“Since yesterday, the aid has kept coming … rice, other foodstuff, mats and other necessities. I am very grateful,” she told Bernama.

Meanwhile, checks show the weather has cleared up and the number of people being evacuated has slowly declined.

According to the Welfare Department’s InfoBanjir app, 23,263 people have been evacuated — 13,407 in Kelantan and 9,695 in Terengganu –— as of 9.16pm.

It was previously reported that 23,517 people had been evacuated by about 3pm.

The evacuees include 4,798 children and 386 toddlers in Kelantan and 3,213 children and 119 toddlers in Terengganu.

Sixty-nine flood relief centres have opened in Kelantan and 119 in Terengganu.

Kelantan Fire and Rescue Department operations deputy director Hussin Ab Rahman told FMT the water was receeding and that only people from Pengkalan Kubor, Kelantan, were still being evacuated.

Terengganu Fire and Rescue Department operations deputy director Khairul Ariffin Che Ramli said the situation there remained the same but the rain had finally stopped.

He said people were still being evacuated in the Besut district, Terengganu. -FMT