KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 18 — Most temporary flood relief centres (PPS) in Penang, Pahang, Kedah and Perak were closed today as floods improved, with only two remaining in operation in Perak as of 4pm.
In PENANG, Seberang Perai Tengah district officer Datuk Kamarul Haizal Koderat said the only centre at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Seri Penanti in Bukit Mertajam was closed this afternoon, and all 36 victims from 10 families were allowed to return home.
He said the closure followed assessments by the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department and the Malaysian Civil Defence Force, which found the affected area safe for residents to return.
The centre was opened at 8.30pm last night to house evacuees from Kampung Kubang Semang after their homes were flooded due to heavy rain.
In PAHANG, two PPS in Raub housing 26 evacuees from 11 families were also closed at 1pm today.
The Raub District Disaster Management Committee secretariat said all evacuees at Balai Raya Kampung Baru Cheroh and Balai Raya Sempam Baru PPS had been allowed to return home as flood conditions continued to improve.
Meanwhile, in KEDAH, Kubang Pasu District Civil Defence Officer Capt (PA) Mohd Adenin Suhaim said the PPS at Dewan Lembah Keriang in Jitra was closed at 3.30pm today after floods in Mukim Temin receded.
The closure allowed 26 evacuees from eight affected families to return home. The centre had been opened at 11pm last night to house affected residents from Kampung Tradisi and Kampung Baru.
In PERAK, Larut, Matang dan Selama District Disaster Management Committee chairman Mohd Nasrul Menhat said three PPS, at SK Changkat Ibol, Dewan Masjid Al-Wusta Batu 8 and Dewan Perdana Trong, were closed at 1.30pm today.
However, the Perak State Disaster Management Committee secretariat said two PPS remained in operation as of 4pm, at SK Matang Gelugor and SK Matang.
According to the statement, 146 evacuees from 48 families are still sheltering at the SK Matang Gelugor PPS, while 56 from 21 families are housed at the SK Matang PPS following a storm that affected several villages in the area since Oct 14.
The floods hit Kampung Matang Pasir and Kampung Matang Gelugor, while the storm also struck Kampung Changkat Baru Matang, Kampung Teluk Kertam, Kampung Melawati and Kampung Hujung Matang.
Other areas also hit by floods were Kampung Changkat Ibol, Kampung Batu 9 and the Trong and Matang areas.
In a related development, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said in a Facebook post that he had visited flood-hit areas in Pulau Pangkor today, but no PPS had been opened on the island so far. — Bernama