Malaysia news

Widespread flooding rarely occurs in the richest states previously, including the capital and neighbouring Selangor. . Read more at straitstimes.com.

They "never thought the time would come when they would actually have to evacuate from their homes for safety", he said. All of a sudden it was chest high," said Ms Chong, an administrator for a pharmaceutical company and a part-time student. Ms Chong blames the loss of trees - and a lack of investment in flood prevention infrastructure - for her family's losses. One of her earliest memories is of falling into floodwaters as an infant. The house is now clean of mud but still needs major repairs on the electrics and toilets - and Ms Chong's wheelchair-bound aunt now lives in temporary accommodation provided by a non-government organisation. Climate change played a role in the severity of the rains and floods, he said, but other factors also contributed to the damage, from garbage-clogged city drains to construction on formerly green areas. Typically, seasonal floods happen more along the eastern coast of the Malaysian peninsula, said Mr Renard Siew, a climate change advisor at think-tank the Centre for Governance and Political Studies - so the floods in December came as a shock to many urban residents. "The doors burst open. Fire crews eventually used a boat to rescue Ms Chong's family from the balcony, dropping them off on higher ground - and in the rain - without additional help, she added. But after more than three days of near-constant rain in late December, floodwaters rose in about three hours from a trickle in Ms Chong's home to touching the ceiling of the ground floor. The last time deep floodwaters entered Ms Chong's terraced house - which sits near a river and in the shadow of a huge mall and fancy hotels - was in 2000. "We knew that it was raining constantly and we expected a flood - but not to that extent," the 22-year-old told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Travellers should avoid returning to Singapore during the peak hours between 8am on Tuesday and 1am on Wednesday. . Read more at straitstimes.com.

ICA said: "Travellers are also reminded not to bring in prohibited items. The number for this long weekend is expected to be even higher. They can do so via ICA's Facebook and Twitter accounts or the One Motoring website.

Malaysian floods hit urban areas once thought safe * Calls grow to boost climate action and limit deforestation * Global warming threatens to drive more ...

The house is now clean of mud but still needs major repairs on the electrics and toilets - and Chong's wheelchair-bound aunt now lives in temporary accommodation provided by a non-government organisation. Climate change played a role in the severity of the rains and floods, he said, but other factors also contributed to the damage, from garbage-clogged city drains to construction on formerly green areas. "One of the reasons why it floods so much is because they cut down too many trees or burn down trees to make way for developments and palm oil plantations," she said. Authorities also completed construction of a key drainage and road tunnel in 2007, to guard against flash floods in the capital and help ease traffic congestion. She and her family were forced to seek safety on the dry upper floor where, in darkness after the electricity was cut, she began frantically calling emergency services on her mobile phone. Still, it is difficult to prove that deforestation upstream caused any specific flooding event, said John-Rob Pool, the implementation manager for Cities4Forests, led by the World Resources Institute, a U.S.-based think-tank. "Floods occur every year somewhere, at some time in the country," said Salleh Mohd Nor, a former president and senior advisor at the Malaysian Nature Society. Damien Thanam Divean, vice president of non-governmental organisation PEKA Malaysia, said clear-cutting of forests, to plant crops such as palm oil and durian fruit, had reduced the ability of land to absorb water, worsening floods. Renovations to the house over the years have included adding an additional floor, raising the structure by 2 feet (0.6 metres), and installing a flood barrier. KUALA LUMPUR, May 2 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The damaged furniture and mud-caked walls left by floodwaters have now been replaced or cleaned in Elizabeth Chong's family home, but lost forever are old photos and documents that gave a precious glimpse into her ancestors' lives. Urban areas across the region - already struggling to cope with booming populations, rapid urbanisation and crumbling infrastructure - now face heightened threats from climate change-driven storms, heatwaves, floods and forest fires. All of a sudden it was chest high," said Chong, an administrator for a pharmaceutical company and a part-time student.