KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 27 ― The flood waters inundating Kelantan displacing tens of thousands claimed a new victim with state Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob stranded at home.
In a Facebook posting yesterday, the 64-year-old leader apologised to flood victims in the northeast state for not being on hand to personally help in disaster relief efforts.
“I apologise to the people especially those in my constituency as I currently have problems going out to distribute aid as I am also trapped by the waters that have started coming into my house,” the Pasir Pekan assemblyman wrote, and added, “Let us pray together and have faith in Allah to be saved from this disaster”.
In the last message, Ahmad posted that he was able to meet with Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin at the Kota Baru airport earlier yesterday morning; both had been briefed on the flood situation in the state by the secretary of the National Security Counci, which is in charge of managing the nationwide crisis.
He thanked Muhyiddin for the federal government for deploying more resources to aid Kelantan's flood relief measures.
He and promised the PAS-led state goverment's full-cooperation to deal with the disaster, which has killed five people in Kelantan and forced over 30,000 to evacuate their homes as flood waters rise.
Ahmad also thanked his Selangor counterpart Azmin Ali for the PKR-led state government's RM1 million donation to help Kelantan and promise of clean-up aid once the flood waters subside.
Tens of thousands in peninsular Malaysia, largely in the east coast states of Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang have had to be evacuated from their homes due to floods in various districts over the past couple of weeks.
National news agency Bernama reported this morning 132,684 people have been forced to leave their flooded homes nationwide.
The floods have sent 55,960 people in Kelantan to relief centres, up from 45,467 last night.
