Officials Warn of Historic Flooding; Over 63,000 Displaced as Torrential Rains Continue

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysian authorities have issued dire warnings that the country is facing the worst flooding in a decade, with the potential for disaster looming over the coming days. Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi has raised concerns that the floods could rival the catastrophic “bah kuning” (yellow flood) of 2014, which affected Kelantan and displaced more than 200,000 people.

The latest developments come after Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim reported to Parliament on November 28 that by the morning of that day, 37,000 individuals had already been displaced due to flooding between November 24 and November 28, with Kelantan being the hardest hit. By 8:30pm on the same day, the number of people seeking refuge in shelters had surged to 63,219, 80 per cent of whom are from Kelantan.

“The Prime Minister has instructed me to convene an emergency meeting of the National Disaster Management Committee,” Zahid explained after chairing the session in Putrajaya. “This year, the flooding is expected to be even more severe than in 2014.”

The situation is expected to worsen as high sea tides next week will prevent rainwater from draining into the South China Sea, exacerbating the flooding. Malaysia’s Meteorological Department issued a red alert on November 27, forecasting ongoing heavy rainfall in the states of Kelantan, Pahang, and Terengganu, with the downpours expected to continue until November 29.

The annual monsoon season typically impacts the north-eastern states of Malaysia – Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, and eastern Johor – from November to January. However, the effects of climate change have caused rainfall to extend across all 11 states in Peninsular Malaysia in recent weeks, leading to flooding in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, as rivers have burst their banks.

Shelter is being provided to displaced residents in schools, community centres, and town halls, where they will remain until the waters recede.

The term “bah kuning” recalls the devastating floods of December 2014, when heavy rains turned floodwaters a muddy yellow, displacing over 202,000 people in Kelantan and causing 14 deaths. Nationwide, the disaster forced 237,000 people from their homes, with 21 fatalities reported. Many houses were swept away by the torrents.

Kelantan’s Menteri Besar, Nassuruddin Daud, has reported that the water levels in his home have now reached near the same height as during the 2014 floods. On November 28, he shared a photo on Facebook showing floodwaters nearing his front porch in Kampung Meranti, just outside the state capital of Kota Bharu.

Local resident Mr Jai, who lives in Kota Bharu, explained that while the rain was not as heavy as it had been two days earlier, the rising water levels from upstream in Kuala Krai and Gua Musang were making their way to the city. “If the rain is focused here, we may avoid a flood, but with the heavy rainfall upstream, the water will come rushing down to us,” he said.

On November 27, the Kelantan state assembly was adjourned a day early, with lawmakers prioritising flood relief efforts. Nassuruddin was seen on Facebook donning a raincoat and using a motorised boat to rescue villagers from their submerged homes.

So far, one death has been reported due to the floods in 2024: a Kelantan man was electrocuted while attempting to unplug a washing machine as floodwaters rose. Additionally, seven out of 11 scheduled train trips in Kelantan were suspended by the national railway company KTM on November 28 as floodwaters engulfed the tracks.