Watery Woes: Sabah Gets Hit By Third Wave Of Floods This Year

The first major flood struck Sabah in January, displacing more than 4,500 people.

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As monsoon season comes to an end, flood issues aren’t over yet as some Malaysian states are still wrestling with rising waters from heavy rainfall.

Late last year, floods displaced thousands of people and claimed many lives as well. The east coast was hit particularly hard, specifically Kelantan and Terengganu where more than 120,000 residents were displaced and forced to stay in temporary shelters.

Meanwhile in East Malaysia, heavy rainfall has triggered major floods in Sabah’s Sandakan, Beluran, Pitas, Kota Marudu, and Paitan.

According to The Star, authorities have told the public to expect more evacuations as water levels continue to rise in flood-struck areas.

Experts say climate change is making the floods worse every year

According to Associate Prof Dr Carolyn M. Payus, director of the Universiti Malaysia Sabah Natural Disaster Research Centre, the repeated occurrence of floods is intensifying the severity of this natural disaster.

“The water from the previous floods has not fully receded and now it is raining again. The intensity is also quite high and climate change is making it worse,” she said.

Sabah Meteorological Department director Amirzudi Hashim said that the northeast monsoon remains active and will continue to the end of March.

At present, the continuous heavy rain warning issued by MetMalaysia is expected to remain in effect until March 21 for several areas in Sabah,” he said.

The first major flood struck in January, affecting multiple districts

For the first time in decades, Kota Marudu saw its worst flood, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate. Hundreds of Beluran and Pitas residents were also displaced after rivers overflowed. Sandakan saw flash floods in low-lying areas, forcing road closures and evacuations.

Sabah communities were not given a chance to recover as the second wave of floods hit early this month. At its peak, more than 4,500 people were displaced across affected districts with multiple relief centers activated.

Now, just weeks later, Sabah is flooded again and concerns about the state’s flood preparedness and climate resilience have come into question.

Johor faces worsening flood situation since last night

The number of victims in Johor have risen to more than 10,000 as of 8am today (21 March) compared to 3,964 last night as the flood situation gets worse.

According to Berita Harian, chairman of the State Disaster Management Committee Tan Sri Dr Azmi Rohani said, this morning, the number flood victims have reached 10,763 from 3,018 families who have been placed in 98 temporary relief centers in Johor Bahru, Kluang, Kulai, Kota Tinggi, and Pontian.

Floods displaced almost 150,000 in West Malaysia last December

Seven states in Peninsular Malaysia had 148,024 evacuees housed at temporary relief shelters after floods devastated their homes, with the east coast states taking the brunt of the disaster in December 2024.

According to a report by Free Malaysia Today, Kelantan had the highest number of displaced individuals at 94,214 at the time, followed by Terengganu at 41,788 people and Kedah with 8,468.

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