Kota Kinabalu: Some 26 flood evacuation centres were activated in six districts hit by flooding on Monday.
As of 4pm, the State Civil Defence Force had registered 1,231 families in the impacted districts, totalling 3,329 victims.
Low-lying regions in Kota Marudu were the hardest hit with at least 1,061 families and 2,765 flood victims, followed by Pitas (216 flood victims), Telupid (159 victims), Paitan sub-district (106 victims) and Beluran (41 victims).
Women topped the list with 1,138, followed by 922 men, 678 boys, and 591 girls, out of a total of 3,329 flood victims.
At least three villages in Pitas have been flooded, and access to 21 more villages has been cut off.
Similarly, 16 villages in Telupid have been inundated, while 23 villages in Paitan sub-district have been flooded.
Sandakan, Lahad Datu, Ranau, and Kinabatangan were also affected, as were other low-lying villages.
Landslides were also recorded in Jalan Kompleks Sukan Ranau and in Kinabatangan’s Kg Warisan.
Civil Defence Force team monitoring the flood situation in Kota Marudu.
Meanwhile, a 38 housing parks and villages in Kota Kinabalu been identified as potential high flood-prone areas every time there is heavy rain, said City Police Chief ACP Mohd Zaidi Abdullah.
They are in Luyang, Inanam and Manggatal.
These areas are divided into two categories, namely 24 under Category ‘A’ that are prone to floods, and the rest under Category ‘B’, in the Operational Action Plan (PTO) for Flood Ops.
“The categories are divided based on the potential for floods such as category ‘A’ where the possibility of flooding every time it rains is very high.
“For category ‘B’, the risk of flooding is less,” he said.
Mohd Zaidi said through the breakdown of categories, rescue operations will be able to be mobilised more robustly and efficiently, adding the rescue team involving various agencies is always ready to face any disaster.
On the “Latika Andaian Op Banjir” programme, he said it is held to further strengthen readiness and full cooperation between the police and various other rescue agencies.
The programme is also an early preparation for all the agencies involved in facing any eventuality in the future, especially during the northeast monsoon at this time.
The training involved 24 officers and 60 personnel from police, Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM), Civil Defence Force (APM), army and Malaysian Volunteer Department (Rela).
“In fact, this programme can also further strengthen the management system of the Scene Control Post (PKTK) or known as ‘Pusat Kawalan Tempat Kejadian’ where it is also the pulse of rescuing victims and property involved in each disaster.
“If the PKTK is slow to be activated, then the rescue efforts will also face difficulties due to weaknesses in the management aspect between agencies such as facing delayed or stunted operations.
“Rescue efforts involving various agencies must be carried out in an integrated manner in accordance with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) of the National Security Council (MKN),” he said.
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