KUCHING (Feb 6): The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) has issued a continuous rain warning (severe and alert levels) for several areas in Sabah and Sarawak, as the monsoon surge is expected to persist until Sunday.

In Sarawak, a severe-level continuous rain warning is in effect until tomorrow for parts of Kuching, Serian, Samarahan, Sarikei, Sibu, Sri Aman, Miri, and Bintulu.

A severe warning is issued when heavy rain is expected to persist over a prolonged period.

MetMalaysia also issued an alert-level continuous rain warning for several areas in the west coast of Sabah, Kudat, and Sandakan, until Saturday.

An alert-level warning indicates continuous rain expected within one to three days or ongoing storm conditions.

In addition, MetMalaysia also maintained its strong wind and rough sea warnings at first, second, and third levels until Sunday.

These conditions pose a significant danger to shipping activities, small boats, and marine sports or recreational activities.

In Peninsular Malaysia, the weather is expected to be generally fair, but thunderstorms and rain are expected in the afternoon, particularly in parts of Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, and Johor.

The department advised the public to remain vigilant and stay updated with the MyCuaca app, MetMalaysia’s official website at www.met.gov.my, or its social media channels for accurate and verified weather information.

PETALING Jaya City Council (MBPJ) is facilitating foundation repairs and clean-ups near the Lembah Subang People’s Housing Project (PPR), where an unlicensed workshop used for recycling plastic once stood.

The workshop was swept away by a landslide into Sungai Kayu Ara in the wee hours of Jan 15.

The couple attributed the problem to long-standing drainage issues and large cracks in the foundation at the PPR’s multipurpose hall located next to the workshop.

Petaling Jaya mayor Mohamad Zahri Samingon said while the PPR falls under the Housing and Local Government Ministry’s (KPKT) jurisdiction, MBPJ had offered to clean up the area in the interest of public safety.

“Repairs are being done to stabilise the riverbank. We are helping with repair works such as piling,” he said.

“By right, the district land office heads district-level disasters. The problem of cracks in the foundation does not fall under MBPJ’s jurisdiction.

“We have discussed sharing the cost for repairs with the National Housing Department,” he said after presenting shopping vouchers to 100 B40 families for school supplies under MBPJ’s social welfare initiative at Mydin USJ in Subang Jaya, Selangor.

Mohamad Zahri said the local authorities have also discussed with the Public Works Department (JKR) and Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) on the scope of work to be carried out at the site.

He added that the recycling workshop was unlicensed. Noorzainny told StarMetro that the workshop Faizul Syam built had helped the Lembah Subang community.

Residents there were remunerated for recyclable plastics they collected, she said.

At the workshop, Noorzainny and Faizul Syam sorted and transformed plastics into items such as coasters and decorative trinkets that were marketed by Upcycled – an initiative by social enterprise Fuze Ecoteer.

Recalling the night of the landslide, Noorzainny said she and Faizul Syam were cooking in their kitchen adjacent to the workshop.

“We had previously noticed cracks on the floor and walls from the workshop area that reached the back of the hall.

That day, within half an hour, the cracks became wider and the floor began sinking,” she said, adding that her husband noticed rapidly flowing water that was visible through the cracks.

Sensing imminent danger, he grabbed her hand and rushed towards the carpark just before the ground collapsed behind them.

Faizul said they managed to salvage a welding machine, which was important to their plastic recycling efforts. He said it would take time to rebuild the recycling workshop at a different location.

“The hall, built 25 years ago, is in bad state. It is unsafe now because a big tree fell on the roof during the landslide,” he said.

Fuze Ecoteer co-founder Daniel Quilter started a crowd-funding campaign to help the Lembah Subang PPR community by raising about RM9,000 to date.

“The recycling workshop provided secondary jobs for the community. “Additional funds are needed to replace the lost equipment and resources critical to their operations,” he said.

StarMetro reached out to KPKT and Petaling District Land Office but both had yet to respond at press time.

KOTA TINGGI, 6 Februari - Tiga buah pusat pemindahan sementara (PPS) di Kota Tinggi ditutup sepenuhnya, pukul 8.30 pagi tadi. 

Menurut maklumat Jawatankuasa Pengurusan Bencana Negeri, penutupan PPS itu melibatkan Dewan Muafakat Taman Desaru, Dewan Kampung Baru Sungai Mas dan Sekolah Kebangsaan Bandar Penawar. 

Semalam, ketiga-tiga PPS dibuka bagi menempatkan lebih 370 penduduk terjejas banjir dari Taman Desaru Utama, Kampung Baru Sungai Mas dan Taman Penawar Harmoni, berikutan hujan lebat yang berlaku pada awal pagi semalam. 

Jabatan Pengairan dan Saliran pula memaklumkan, paras Sungai Kahang di Kluang menunjukkan bacaan bahaya, 14.58 meter berbanding paras biasa, 10 meter. 

KUALA LUMPUR: It is up to the respective states to gazette a location under their jurisdiction as flood hot spots, says Nga Kor Ming.

The Housing and Local Government Minister said that under Article 74 of the Federal Constitution, the administration of all land matters comes under the respective states' purview.

"The gazetting of the area is to be done by the respective Mentri Besar or Chief Minister based on the status of the land such as whether is under state, federal or private land ownership," Nga said in a written reply to a question raised by Datuk Seri Dr Wee Jeck Seng (BN-Tanjung Piai) in Dewan Rakyat on Thursday (Feb 6).

Wee wanted to know the consideration given by the ministry for gazetting an area as flood hot spots and the plans to tighten the laws to restrict land use to minimise flooding.

Nga said that a location could be deemed a high-risk flood area by local authorities if it is hit by floods more than three times in three consecutive years.

"The ministry is only responsible for upgrading irrigation and drainage through the Local Government Department in an area which has been identified by the local councils as a flood hot spot," he added.

He said that several factors, such as the policy and legal impacts, must be considered before an area is gazetted as a flood hot spot by the state.

He added that this is done to gauge the impact on the surrounding area and the local community.

Also considered is the high cost of compensation the state has to bear if the land is privately owned, he said.

Future development plans of the area surrounding the affected area and its impact are also factors taken into account, Nga added.