Number of evacuees rises to over 18,000 in Malaysia floods

The number of flood evacuees in Malaysia rose to over 18,000 on Tuesday, with 10 states affected by the ongoing northeast monsoon, authorities reported.

Kelantan, which has experienced continuous heavy rains for several days, recorded more than 9,700 evacuees housed in 40 flood relief centers as of 12 p.m. local time.

Other severely affected areas include Selangor, with 2,718 evacuees, and Perak, with 2,881, while the remainder are spread across the country.

Meanwhile, Chief Secretary to the Government, Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, said the government has deployed over 100,000 personnel and assets from multiple agencies to assist states impacted by the severe flooding.

Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh said national-level examinations would proceed, as the authorities have contingency measures in place to deal with the situation, including a complete set of standard operating procedures and mechanisms to ensure candidates can sit for the examination safely.

Separately, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim told a press briefing that he is satisfied with the National Disaster Management Agency's level of preparedness in responding to the flood situation and has instructed all agencies to mobilize maximum efforts to assist affected communities.

The meteorological department has issued warnings of continuous heavy rains and strong winds.