Vehicles barred from entering Taman Sri Muda to avoid congestion, untoward incident: Police

 

Flood victims using makeshift boats to collect aid at Taman Sri Muda, Shah Alam. -NSTP/ASWADI ALIAS.

KUALA LUMPUR: Police are barring vehicles, other than those from non-governmental organisations (NGOs), from freely entering flood-stricken Taman Sri Muda.

Shah Alam police chief Assistant Commissioner Baharudin Mat Taib said this was to deter obstructions as various authorities and agencies, such as police, army, Fire and Rescue Department and the Civil Defence Force, are in the midst of rescuing victims trapped in their submerged homes.

He was responding to a viral TikTok video posted by @shahedrian90 who claimed he was stopped from giving out food to the victims.

"Our move to control public vehicles from going into the location is to avoid congestion and steer clear of lorries carrying victims to the temporary relief centres.

"It is also to avert further misfortunes as the river's water level, at the time of the video posting, was on the rise. It was feared that congestion at the location would endanger all parties and bring more complications to the life-saving process," said Baharudin in a statement today.

Baharudin said while the concerns and generousity of NGOs and the public in assisting victims are appreciated, they are advised to heed the orders by the authorities in a bid to ease the on-going rescue operations.

The Welfare Department has swung into immediate action to deliver food aid to stranded victims, he said. - NST