IPOH, November 28 — Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad today said the state has not been heavily impacted by tropical storm Senyar, despite early meteorological reports listing Perak among the states expected to be affected.
However, Saarani said district officers and their disaster response teams across the state were on high alert and fully prepared as heavy rain is expected to continue over the next few days.
“Early assessments showed the storm passed through Perak and Selangor before moving towards the South China Sea.
“At this point, we have not received any information indicating severe impact in Perak,” he said at the sidelines of the state assembly sitting at the Perak Darul Ridzuan Building here.
Yesterday, the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) issued a warning for tropical storm Senyar, which was detected north of Sumatra and located about 102 kilometres southwest of Lumut, Perak.
MetMalaysia director-general Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip said the weather could bring persistent heavy rain, strong winds and rough seas across Peninsular Malaysia, especially in western and central states, from Thursday to Saturday.
He said MetMalaysia has updated its Tropical Storm, Continuous Rainfall, and Strong Wind and Rough Sea warnings for Kedah, Penang, Perak, Pahang, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka and Johor, effective November 27–29.
Saarani noted that initial meteorological reports stated that Perak was among the states involved, but said Selangor appears to be the most affected.
He said the facility at the state disaster management centre at the State Secretariat building was fully equipped to provide real-time updates on weather conditions and emergency coordination.
“Even though the operations room is small, it is equipped with all necessary communication tools.
“The centre provides live updates to all district disaster committees, and the district officers will alert their teams accordingly,” he added.
He also stressed that preparations across districts appear solid, with the Social Welfare Department ensuring sufficient food supply and other essentials at PPS, including tents and sleeping arrangements.
“One of the complaints raised was the increase in mosquitoes, but fogging cannot be done due to the rain.
“Nevertheless, adjustments can be made to improve comfort,” he said.
Saarani added that he had visited Hilir Perak and Perak Tengah in the past two days, noting that several relief centres had closed or seen fewer occupants as evacuees returned home.
However, he warned that floods may recur and instructed district officers to stay on standby as rising waters could force victims back to the relief centres.
Saarani said most major relief centres were ready for activation, except for a few secondary schools currently used as SPM examination halls.
“In Hilir Perak, we had to use one school, but we separated the exam hall from the accommodation area,” he added.