MARAN, March 3 — The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, today ordered the government to conduct a detailed study to reduce and address the flood risks.
His Majesty said that short and long-term solutions, such as flood mitigation projects and efforts to deepen shallow rivers, are necessary due to frequent floodings.
“We can think about the cost (to implement the project to address flood problems) later, but we have to find the cause as there are always floods occurring, every year, every month. This is also subject to small rivers and drains in the city, which are not well maintained… all kinds of garbage thrown arbitrarily, which may be the cause of the flooding,” said the King.
Al-Sultan Abdullah said this while visiting and presenting donations to flood victims, at the Kampung Baru Sungai Chedong temporary relief centre, earlier today.
His Majesty was accompanied by the Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, and their son Tengku Panglima Raja Col Tengku Amir Nasser Ibrahim Shah. Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail was also present.
In addition, Al-Sultan Abdullah also wanted those who were ordered to evacuate immediately, to comply with the instruction, apart from always being aware of the safety of their children and other family members and maintaining cleanliness in the relief centre.
His Majesty, who expressed his appreciation to all Federal and state government agencies, and NGOs for helping flood victims, also hoped that assistance would continue to be increased from time to time.
During the visit, Al-Sultan Abdullah and Tunku Azizah also presented donations, in the forms of cash, food items and personal care products, to flood victims in the Kampung Baru Sungai Chedong and the Dewan Arena YAM Tengku Muda relief centres here.
The floods hit Pahang on Wednesday (March 1), as a result of continuous heavy rain, causing the river water level to overflow in Raub, Jerantut, Maran, Pekan, Bera, Temerloh and Rompin districts. However, the flood situation in Raub and Jerantut fully recovered today.
Meanwhile, one of the evacuees, Mohd Sulaiman Abdul Shukor, 39, was visibly moved by His Majesty’s concerns about his right leg, which was amputated to the knee as a result of a road accident in October last year.
Mohd Sulaiman, who sought shelter at the Kampung Baru Sungai Chedong relief centre since Wednesday, said that the assistance he received greatly helped to reduce his financial burden, as he is now unemployed after the accident.
“I used to help a fish trader in the market, so my income and savings were not much,” he said.
— Bernama
