PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim says that the total number of Northeast Monsoon flood victims recorded since Nov 5 in the nine affected states - comprising 235,706 individuals from 68,868 families - is the highest since the major floods that swept the country during the 2014/2015 monsoon.
Anwar has also voiced his concerns over the potential for a second wave of floods, particularly in the states that have recently been impacted.
He reported that, to date, the flood situation in Kelantan and Terengganu has shown slight improvement, while several areas in Johor and Pahang are experiencing a rising trend.
"The concern is the forecast by the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) of a second wave," he said at the Ihsan Madani fundraising event at Kompleks Seri Perdana on Wednesday (Dec 4).
Discussing the latest developments in the flood situation, Anwar revealed that as of 6am on Wednesday, a total of 65,991 evacuees from 19,969 families are housed at 220 temporary relief centres.
The Prime Minister also shared that the Ihsan Madani Squad, which consists of civil service volunteers from various ministries and agencies, will be deployed to assist in the post-disaster rehabilitation phase.
The squad, led by Chief Secretary to the Government, Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, will be coordinated by the Public Service Department (JPA) in partnership with the Prime Minister's Department, National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) and the Malaysian Civil Defence Force. – Bernama