JOHOR BAHRU, Jan 2 — Residents affected by floods in the state have been urged to prioritise their safety and to obey instructions from authorities to evacuate immediately.
Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Ir Hasni Mohammad said residents should not be unduly worried as all parties responsible for flood disaster relief efforts have prepared comfortable amenities for evacuees at temporary relief centres.
“Based on the reports I’ve received, rain will continue for the next one to two days. (Therefore) I advise those affected to think of the safety of their families.
“I know they would want to protect their valuables and property but what is most important is their safety and lives,” he told reporters after visiting a relief centre at Sekolah Kebangsaan Batu 10, in Skudai, here today.
Hasni also visited a relief centre at SJK (C) Kuo Kuang, also in Skudai.
He said this when asked to comment about the unwillingness of some residents to obey instructions by authorities to evacuate and only sought help when the situation got worse or even turned dangerous.
The Menteri Besar explained that the people’s welfare will always be taken care of by the agencies involved, including non-governmental organisations like Yayasan Penyayang Iskandar Puteri, which was created by the state government to help flood evacuees.
“I am confident and believe that as long as they are at the relief centres, their welfare and safety will be taken care of by the authorities.
“I also sought the cooperation of the Johor health department to advise evacuees at relief centres to adhere to the standard operating procedures there,” he added.
Intermittent heavy rain since early yesterday morning (Friday) has caused flooding which affected 1,000 individuals from 274 families in four districts in Johor as of 4 pm today compared to 348 individuals from 87 families this afternoon.
