[PHOTOS] 14 Things To Know About The Worst Floods To Hit Malaysia Since 1971
New Year celebrations in two states and Kuala Lumpur have been cancelled to channel all efforts to flood relief.
1. Kelantan, Pahang, Terengganu and Perak are facing the worst floods in living memory
3. The number of flood victims in Kelantan has reached 34,955; In Terengganu, 29,082; In Perak, 5,512
4. 102 foreign and local tourists had to be airlifted out of Taman Negara in Kuantan which had been cut off by flood waters
6. On Thursday, 25 December 2015, 14-year-old Nurrashidah Baharuddin drowned when she slipped and fell into the river, marking the first casualty in Terengganu
7. In Kemaman, search and rescue teams are looking for married couple Suhaimi Awang and Nur Hayati Sulong, both 37, who went missing after falling into floodwaters as they were being evacuated
8. The Sultan of Perak has ordered all New Year's eve entertainment projects in the state to be cancelled
9. The Terengganu state government has also cancelled all New Year's Eve festivities to focus on relief efforts
10. In Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya similarly cancelled the annual New Year's Eve celebrations in respect of the flood victims
11. Kuala Lumpur (KL) mayor Datuk Seri Ahamd Phesal Talib says DBKL rescue unit is prepared to face the floods should it hit the capital city
12. Despite pressure from DAP, Putrajaya will not be declaring a state of emergency as the priority is to save lives
"There are several criteria which have to be taken into consideration before declaring a state of emergency, including the total breakdown of water and electricity supply. "Furthermore, we have to consider the total number of people being evacuated, is it in hundreds of thousands? What are we going to do if we declare a state of emergency? Will it solve the issue of flooding and the victims?" Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
themalaysianinsider.com13. Malaysians on social media have chastised Prime Minister Najib for golfing with Obama in Hawaii while the Rakyat is dealing with the worst floods in the country
14. In response, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said Najib deserves a break and asked for the public to trust him to handle the relief efforts
"We must be fair. The prime minister also has his time for a break as he has been working so hard. He is also a human being. I told him not to worry and to have trust in me, we will manage the issue in whatever way we can. There is no need for Najib to come back immediately. If I cannot handle the issue, then I will call Najib to return to Malaysia," Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
themalaysianinsider.comMore photos from the east coast: