29. Floods Warning

An aerial view shows Pekan inundated by water,Tuesday. The situation in the royal town is expected to get worse with high tides forecast for Friday - Starpic.


KOTA BARU: The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry has warned of a new age of floods, where a combination of hillside cutting, and seasonal monsoons translates to deadlier effects compared to a decade ago.

Ministry parliamentary secretary Datuk Sazmi Miah said swifter river currents, a higher rate of landslides, mud and debris clogging drainage systems, and the dwindling number of trees, which are natural retention water catchments, combined to wreck havoc on daily life.

“When the issue of the Lojing Highlands (Gua Musang) was raised, it was interpreted as a politicised topic. We hope people understand that the more we wrangle over the environment, the more nature has a tendency to come back and bite us. The environment should not be politicised."

What has occurred, he said, was that the trees, which are nature’s “sponge” to absorb excess water from flowing into the rivers, have been reduced so the rate of water flowing downstream was more rapid, causing stronger and faster currents. Hence, riverbanks spilled over at a swifter rate.

Kelantan has the highest number of victims from the current floods, with 14 drowning cases reported as of Tuesday.

Many areas in the states of Kelantan, Trengganu, Pahang and Johore were hit by floods recently. At least 29 people were killed due to the floods, most of them were children. Tens of thousands of residents were also evacuated from the areas.

Malaysian officials had advised those living areas near rivers to be cautious as the sea level may rise and take measures to prevent their children from playing in the floodwaters.

The Malaysian Meteorological Department had said that the high tide would peak during Dec.23 to Dec.26 and was expected to last until Dec.29 - The Star.