Malaysian authorities said on Wednesday morning that more than 8,000 people have been affected by the Johor floods even as 2,427 families were moved to 70 evacuation centres.
Segamat district was the worst affected where more than 6,000 people were displaced, Ayub Rahmat, State Health and Environment Committee chairman, said. He added that initially 40 evacuation centres were opened in the district but now it has been increased to 50.
The water level at Golok River rose to 9.59 metres following incessant rains since Monday, breaching the danger level of 9 metres.
According to Ayub, 157 people from 41 families are being accommodated at five evacuation centres in Tangkak. The centres include Sekolah Agama Simpang 5 Darat and Sekolah Kebangsaan Bekoh, which were the latest to be opened. In Johor Bahru, 88 people have been evacuated to two relief centres.
In an estimate of evacuated people, the chairman said that 1,003 victims (249 families) had been evacuated to six relief centres in Kota Tinggi, while in Kluang, four evacuation centres had been opened to provide shelter for 135 flood victims (35 families).
Three other evacuation centres have been opened in Johor, and one centres each in Batu Pahat, Mersing and Muar. At present, 11 flood victims have been accommodated in Batu Pahat evacuation centre. The centre in Mersing is currently accommodating 111 victims from 39 families and Muar (90 victims from 24 families). Ayub added that the floods had affected eight districts, leaving Kulai and Pontian.
The Star Online reported that the Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar spent over 20 minutes mingling with the victims. "I decided to visit Kota Tinggi, while my son Tunku Temenggong of Johor Tunku Idris Iskandar will be visiting flood victims in Segamat," the Sultan said.
According to the Sultan, the evacuation process became easier due to the early preparations by the state government in forming a committee of floods.
