MASSIVE flooding last month cost RM6.1 billion in losses, or 0.4% of the nominal GDP, the Statistics Department said today.

Losses were highest in Selangor and Pahang, chief statistician Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said, reflecting reports that the worst cases of flooding were also in these states.

The RM6.1 billion was calculated from a survey the department carried out between December 30 and January 27, in the flood-affected states and territory of Johor, Kelantan, Malacca, Negri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Selangor, Terengganu, Sabah, Sarawak and Kuala Lumpur.

Uzir said by category, living quarters (housing) losses totalled RM1.6 billion, vehicle losses RM1.0 billion and manufacturing losses RM0.9 billion.

Losses at business premises totalled RM0.5 billion, agriculture RM90.6 million, and public assets and infrastructure RM2 billion.

In the living quarters category, Selangor recorded the highest losses of RM1 billion, followed by Pahang at RM425.6 million. Malacca came in third with RM69.7 million in losses.

The districts in Selangor with the highest losses to homes and living quarters were Petaling (RM258 million), followed by Hulu Langat (RM253.6 million) and Klang (RM252.8 million). 

In Pahang, Kuantan district recorded the highest losses of living quarters with RM197.4 million, followed by Temerloh (RM95.1 million), and Bentong (RM60 million).

In terms of vehicle losses, Selangor totalled RM855 million, Pahang RM78.2 million, and Negri Sembilan RM18.3 million.

Selangor, being a major industrial hub, also recorded the highest manufacturing losses at RM884.5 million, followed by Pahang at RM5.6 million and Negri Sembilan at RM1.2 million.

Selangor also experienced the highest in terms of business premises losses, amounting to RM396.4 million. These were in the districts of Petaling, Klang and Sepang.

Uzir said that apart from face-to-face interviews to collect data, the department also used data from various government agencies, as well as from district officers, village management councils, temporary evacuation centres and from civil society organisations.

Major flooding occurred over the weekend of December 18 and 19 following days of unusually heavy rain. Federal and state authorities have been blamed for their slow response and unpreparedness, despite the fact that heavy rainfall is usually expected at the end of the year during the annual monsoon season.

The authorities have said they were prepared, but not for such a huge amount of rainfall which caused water levels to rise faster than expected. – January 28, 2022.