ALOR SETAR: Forty-five schools on higher ground are being partially used as flood evacuation centres while classes continue as normal.
Flood evacuees are being sheltered in parts of these schools while students attend classes, said Kedah education director Ismail Othman.
But since the floods began last Tuesday, 14 schools have had to be closed: two secondary schools and five primary schools in Kota Setar, and seven primary schools in Kubang Pasu.
Ismail told reporters yesterday that students and teachers in these closed schools were instructed to hold online classes until the flood situation improves.
For the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examinations starting today, the department identified about 300 candidates affected by the floods.
Like all SPM candidates affected by floods nationwide, arrangements are being made by the Education Ministry to move these students to dormitories and change their examination centres to ensure they can sit for their exams on time.
Floods in Kedah worsened on Saturday night, prompting rescuers to evacuate about 600 victims from several low-lying areas.
However, as of yesterday evening, floodwaters in other areas began to recede as the rain stopped, and the total number of evacuees statewide decreased.
The number of flood evacuees surged from 8,580 on Saturday night to 9,129 by noon yesterday. By 4pm, the number had dropped to 8,468, with the rest allowed to return home to clean up.
A total of 53 flood evacuation centres were opened in seven districts. As of yesterday, two were closed, and all evacuees were allowed to return home.
Kedah Civil Defence Force (APM) deputy director Mej Muhammad Suhaimi Mohd Zain said at the peak of the flooding, Kota Setar district had reported the highest number of victims, which grew to 3,421 individuals from 1,023 families as of 4pm yesterday.
“But in many other districts, more victims were allowed to leave the evacuation centres.”
Muhammad Suhaimi added that although there were only 614 flood victims evacuated in Pokok Sena district as of yesterday evening, APM was monitoring the situation after Sungai Kedah burst its banks there and forced businesses in Jalan Pumpong, Alor Setar, and Anak Bukit to close due to the flood waters.
The thousands of properties and homes inundated included three Inland Revenue Board offices in Alor Setar, UTC Alor Setar in Kubang Pasu as well as Seri Mentaloon, and the official residence of the Kedah Mentri Besar, which was flooded by about 1m of water on Saturday.
In Perlis, its APM reported that rain had stopped and water levels in rivers had begun subsiding at about 10am yesterday.
A total of 226 people from 62 families from Arau, Padang Besar, and Kangar were evacuated.
