At least seven people have been killed and over 132,000 fled their homes in one of the worst floods in Malaysia’s history as authorities struggled in their rescue efforts amid power outages and destruction of roads.
Prime Minister Najib Razak on Saturday announced additional funds to help flood victims nationwide after landslides, road blocks and swirling waters enveloped the country’s eight states. Weather office indicated that there will be no respite in Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang states in coming days.
Razak reached Kelantan to assess flood emergency operations on Saturday after cutting short his holiday in the US. He announced an additional allocation of RM 500 million ($143 million) to help flood victims nationwide that will be administered by the National Security Council. Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin admitted rescuers were facing challenges with power outages and roads being washed away.