At least 51,200 people were evacuated and four lives were lost as floods swept across southern peninsular Malaysia, according to authorities on Monday.
The hardest hit area is Johor in the southwest, where authorities report more than 47,600 evacuees across 270 temporary shelters, based on updates from the national disaster management agency.
Police confirmed four fatalities. Johor, the country’s second-most populous state with a population around four million, has been a focal point of ongoing flood response and relief efforts reported by national media outlets.
Officials are actively monitoring more than a dozen rivers in Johor, all of which exceeded danger levels at various points, as teams work to ensure waters recede in multiple districts. Thousands of residents were displaced, with many returning to homes as conditions permit.
The situation in Malaysia remains challenging as rains persist in many parts of the peninsula. The flooding has affected communities nationwide and has prompted sustained relief operations, with authorities coordinating evacuations, shelter provision, and rapid assessments of damage.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim visited several of the worst-affected areas in Johor and pledged to accelerate relief and mitigation projects to address current floods and to prepare for potential future events. He emphasized that the flood issue cannot be delayed and must be addressed with seriousness to reduce or prevent recurrence.
Regional authorities outlined plans for major cleanup and rebuilding efforts, though specifics on the number of homes and infrastructure impacted were not disclosed. Efforts are underway to bolster logistics, repair critical infrastructure, and support affected families, including temporary housing and essential services in the days ahead.
The flood impact extends beyond Johor. In nearby Malacca, about 600 people have been evacuated across six centers, with roughly 20 shelters established, while in Pahang province around 3,000 residents faced flooding conditions and shelter access is being expanded. Other mainland states, including Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, as well as parts of Borneo where Sarawak is located, have reported previous flooding episodes with affected residents returning home as waters recede and recovery proceeds.
Malaysia experiences two primary rainy seasons: the southwest monsoon from May to September and the northeast monsoon from October to March. The northeast monsoon typically brings heavier rainfall to the eastern peninsula and portions of Borneo, contributing to flood risk in vulnerable areas during peak periods.
From December 2021 to January 2022, flood events caused significant damage and loss of life, with reports noting substantial financial costs. In recent years, authorities have stressed the importance of resilient infrastructure, early warning systems, and community preparedness to mitigate future flood impacts and support rapid response when emergencies arise.