A TOTAL of 5,102 people are still seeking shelter at flood relief centres in Penang as the state government tries to alleviate the suffering faced by those badly hit by the flood, said Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

He said the situation in the state had normalised, except in the Seberang Prai Utara and Seberang Prai Tengah districts, which were badly affected by floodwaters from Kedah.

“The heavy rain and floods in Kedah have caused a record volume of water to gush down our rivers, overflowing river banks here on the way out to sea.

“This has the unfortunate effect of flooding parts of Seberang Prai Utara and Seberang Prai Tengah near the river banks up to three feet (91cm), even though there has not been a single drop of rain,” he said today.

The number of families sheltering at flood relief centres in Seberang Prai Utara numbered 821 comprising 3,381 people, while 463 families comprising 1,721 people were seeking shelter in Seberang Prai Tengah.

Meanwhile, Lim thanked Prime Minister Najib Razak for his visit to Penang yesterday and for his willingness to “seriously consider” RM1 billion for flood mitigation projects, which has yet to be released under the previous five Malaysia Plans.

“Najib, during his visit to Penang yesterday, did not announce any new allocation for flood mitigation projects in Penang but said he would seriously consider the RM1 billion for flood mitigation projects still not released under the previous five year Malaysia Development Plans.

“The RM150 million mentioned by the prime minister was a previously approved announcement made last year on November 8, 2016, by Natural Resources and Environment Minister Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar,” said Lim.

Najib and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, visited flood relief centres and spoke to victims in Seberang Prai yesterday.  

Lim also said the state Drainage and Irrigation Department, along with the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) and other agencies, had been instructed to pump out water back into rivers to reduce the water level.

He also said the state government would address concerns raised over landslides caused by the storms that hit the state.

“We will take urgent steps to address this situation and hope that the public will respond to the authorities’ call for evacuation if and when the need arises.”

Lim also thanked various parties and organisations that lent Penang a hand recently, including Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali and Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim.

Heavy rain lashed Penang for some 15 hours on Saturday, and the strong winds that came with it wreaked havoc and created floods in Penang.

The floods have claimed seven lives – five Malaysians, one Bangladeshi and a seventh victim found near Stadium Bandaraya Pulau Pinang in Jalan Dato Keramat. – November 8, 2017.