About 40,000 people have been displaced from their homes in Malaysia’s southern Johor state, which borders Singapore, as a result of flooding brought on by days of torrential rain, and at least four fatalities have been reported during the past week, officials said on Saturday.
According to the national disaster management agency, authorities have set up more than 200 relief shelters for people displaced by the floods.
It was gathered that floods in Malaysia are common during the annual monsoon season between October and March, but the downpour this week left many Johor residents scrambling to find shelter.
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A 54-year old cafe worker, Kabibah Siam was seen carrying belongings out of her house in thigh-high water, said she was resigned to fending for herself during the floods.
In her words, “What can we do? We cannot complain about our fate because everyone is in the same boat here.”
Although Johor was the hardest affected, flooding in neighboring states also caused the displacement of hundreds of people.
Further rain was predicted by the meteorological department for the upcoming days, mainly in the southern states.
Story was adapted from Reuters