KUALA BERANG: The Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia has distributed 150 community boats nationwide in preparation for the upcoming Northeast Monsoon season.

Director-General Datuk Seri Nor Hisham Mohammad stated these boats will enable local communities to conduct prompt evacuations of flood victims.

He confirmed that the department will maintain larger boats on standby for situations involving stronger and swifter currents.

“We have completed the distribution of 150 community boats for the monsoon season to facilitate early community-led evacuations and address logistical challenges,“ he said after closing a media collaboration programme at Hutan Lipur Sekayu.

The department has mobilised 24,000 personnel to prepare for floods expected to begin in late December.

The government has approved the procurement of 200 new vehicles including boat towing vehicles and light operational vehicles for delivery early next year.

JBPM maintains additional assets comprising 450 marine vehicles, 417 light transport vehicles and 119 heavy transport vehicles.

These enhancements aim to increase the department’s capacity for rescue and assistance operations during emergencies. – Bernama

KOTA KINABALU: The proposed flood mitigation, irrigation and drainage scheme with a Chinese Fortune 500 company for Sabah could not take off because of local opposition to it as well as a federal ban on the export of sand.

Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan said in a statement on Sunday (Sept 21) they had hoped to structure financing for the RM17bil project via the sale of sand and carbon credits.

He said the planned project failed to take off after a memorandum of understanding was signed on March 15, 2024 between the Irrigation and Drainage Department and Shaanxi Construction Engineering Malaysia Sdn Bhd (SCEM).

Under the MOU, a potential financing requirement was estimated at RM17bil, which could have created up to 20,000 job opportunities, he said.

"Contrary to speculation, no funds were ever received under this MOU. The document was merely an expression of interest and did not constitute any binding financial commitment," he said.

He added the MOU only permitted the company to carry out due diligence and feasibility studies in 11 districts identified for flood mitigation, irrigation and drainage projects.

He also said claims that RM17bil had been misused or diverted were baseless as the project was never implemented and no funds were ever received.

KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 21): The flood situation in Sabah is improving while the number of victims in Sarawak remains unchanged as of this afternoon.

The Sabah State Disaster Management Committee (JPBN) in a statement today said the number of victims declined to 130 people from 31 families this afternoon, compared to 439 people from 128 families this morning.

It said only two temporary relief centres remain operational, serving the districts of Penampang and Papar.

“The number of flood victims housed in the relief centre in Papar has reduced to only seven people, while Penampang still has 123 victims. In addition, the flood situation in Membakut has improved with two relief centres closed this afternoon,” the statement said.

The committee added that only three villages remain affected this afternoon, one in Penampang and two in Papar.

In Sarawak, the National Disaster Control Centre portal revealed that the number of flood victims sheltering at Dewan Suarah Marudi in Miri remained at 16 people from five families this afternoon.

Data from the Department of Irrigation and Drainage’s Public Infobanjir portal showed that the river level at the Long Teru station stood at 8.69 metres (m), above the danger level of 8 m, but showing a declining trend.

The water level at the Marudi station was 4.12 m compared to the danger level of 3.25 m, also showing a downward trend.

So far, no rainfall has been reported in the affected areas. – Bernama

SHAH ALAM: All local authorities (PBT) in Selangor have been instructed to immediately maintain any drainage systems at risk of causing flash floods in the state, said State Execuitive Councillor (Exco) for Youth and Sports Mohd Najwan Halimi.

Mohd Najwan, who is also the State Disaster Management Committee chairman, said the directive must be implemented promptly to prevent flood incidents in non-hotspot areas, such as the recent case in Ulu Bernam, Hulu Selangor, which affected many families.

He was commenting on measures taken by the state government following floods that struck several areas two days ago, which led to the opening of two temporary evacuation centres (PPS) at Dewan Serbaguna Kampung Sekolah Sungai Selisik and Dewan Orang Ramai Ulu Bernam to house 43 families from more than five affected villages.

He said that through the training, conducted in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma), participants were exposed to the concepts, types, categories and profiles of natural disasters in Malaysia.

He added that community leaders and village heads also received detailed information on disaster management mechanisms, including processes that focus on building resilient communities.

"In the event of any disaster, those who have been trained will already be prepared to be mobilised as they have the basic knowledge while awaiting assistance from the authorities to arrive at their locations," he said.