FIRE and Rescue Department personnel are focused on flood relief missions in Pahang and Selangor, where flooding is worst and rivers continue to remain at danger levels, department director-general Mohammad Hamdan Wahid said.

There are also seven missing persons cases as a result of the floods in Pahang. Four are in Bentong and Raub, Temerloh and Pekan have one case each, as of noon today, he told a press conference.

Seven rivers in Pahang are also still at dangerous levels, namely Sungai Pahang, Sungai Semantan, Sungai Jelai, Sungai Triang, Sungai Rompin, Sungai Kuantan and Sungai Selat.

Four districts in Pahang are also showing an increase in flood areas, in Bera, Maran, Temerloh, and Mentakab, Hamdan added.

The department chief said of 4,784 full-time firefighters, 841 auxiliary firefighters, and 257 volunteer firefighters assigned to the floods so far, about 50% are in Selangor and Pahang.

“We are also monitoring other states but Selangor and Pahang are the most critical states,” he said at the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) operations room in Taman Sri Muda, Shah Alam today.

In Selangor, Hamdan said Sungai Klang was being monitored due to concerns about rising water levels.

Flooding occurred in eight states over the weekend after unusually heavy and continuous rain from Friday to Sunday. The floods in certain parts of Selangor caught residents by surprise and the government is facing criticism for a lack of early warning and delays in coordinating relief operations.

Hamdan admitted there were delays when fire and rescue personnel went out to flooded areas, especially in Taman Sri Muda, among the worst-hit areas in Selangor.

“Sri Muda is so vast, the water rose quickly and when we responded using our existing logistics, we do not deny that delays occurred for some flood victims because we were operating elsewhere.

“Some may also have been overlooked because when we went to a house, it looked empty and the house was locked. So our personnel moved on to other critical situations,” Hamdan said.

He also said some flood victims were fearful about being evacuated to temporary relief shelters for fear of crowds and the spread of Covid-19.

“Some do not want to move for fear of getting infected. So if they don’t want to move, we ensure their safety and bring them food and necessities.

“We have been doing our best from the first day till now, it may not be perfect but we are trying our best,” said Hamdan. – December 23, 2021.