GEORGE TOWN, Nov 18 — Penang has activated a specialised multi-agency response team to monitor 20 identified flood hotspots, following a warning from the Malaysian Meteorological Department (METMalaysia) of potential flooding between November 19 and 20.

State Secretary Datuk Zulkifli Long said a dedicated WhatsApp group will provide hourly updates on rainfall and river basin levels, allowing for swift and coordinated action.

“We are collaborating with METMalaysia with hourly updates on early weather forecasts,” he told reporters today after the launch of the state environmental health action plan (SEHAP) and the Penang information complaints system (ePINTAS) platform.

He explained that district officers and village heads have been tasked with monitoring the situation on the ground at the 20 identified river basins and other flood-prone areas.

In addition to the enhanced monitoring, which has been in place since last month, temporary evacuation centres and operations rooms across the state have also been activated to ensure residents can be relocated immediately if flooding occurs.