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Malaysia
This Week in Asia

Malaysia floods force 25,000 to leave homes, locals slam project to stem river flow as useless

  • There are fears of a repeat of the devastating 2014 flooding in Malaysia as authorities warn heavy rains are set to persist
  • Many have questioned the billions of ringgit invested in flood mitigation projects since the 2014 disaster

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Flooding in Kelantan’s Rantau Panjang town. The meteorological department has warned heavy rains are likely to persist in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Perak until Wednesday. Photo: Facebook/RantauPanjangPost
Hadi Azmi
Flash floods in northern Malaysia have forced some 25,000 people from their homes in Kelantan and Terengganu so far after the Golok River hit record highs, with waters trapping entire communities across the border area with Thailand.

With no signs of heavy rains subsiding, there are fears of a repeat of the devastating 2014 flooding in Malaysia.

As of midnight on Christmas Day, the Golok rose to 11.04 metres (36.2 feet), according to government data, higher than the 10.84 metres recorded in the 2014 flood, which eventually led to over 300,000 people being evacuated nationwide.

A car flooded in Kelantan’s Rantau Panjang town. Photo: Facebook/RantauPanjangPost
A car flooded in Kelantan’s Rantau Panjang town. Photo: Facebook/RantauPanjangPost

A “severe and dangerous warning” remained in force on Tuesday across Kelantan and Terengganu, according to Shazlinda Hanif, a meteorologist at the Meteorological Department Malaysia (MET).

Images of people trapped inside homes with rescue boats struggling against fast-moving floodwaters have been widely shared on social media. Videos shared on TikTok of submerged villages and rescue vehicles trapped on roads give a glimpse into the scale of the unfolding disaster.

“The water rose to our chins,” Rantau Panjang resident Faris Roslan said, showing videos of the deluge hitting his village. “God is great. If we were swept away in this … that would be the end.”

The MET has warned heavy rains are likely to persist in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Perak until Wednesday.

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