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What happened, where and when?
As stated in the earlier DREF application, published on 25 December 2022, the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) predicted that the northeast monsoon period would begin on 7 November 2022, which was earlier than expected and continue until March 2023. This prediction has now materialized and the current monsoon rain will continue through March. This persistent raining, which has deteriorated since 28 February 2023, has caused flooding in the Malaysian peninsula, affecting the states of Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang and Selangor.
Johor is the worst-hit state with more than 42,000 people evacuated to relief centres since 4 March 2023, compared to 9,162 on 1 March. There has been ongoing flooding from the same monsoon season which started in December 2022, but the current flooding is above average, as a similar scope which has never been experienced in March. Earlier in February 2023, Johor experienced minor flooding, which was expected in terms of timing and scale, but the scale of current flooding is extraordinary.
The ongoing DREF operation started in the last week of December 2022, following flash floods in three states, with devastating impact on the communities. A total of 71,503 people were then evacuated to 439 temporary shelters across five states, including Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Johor, and Perak, and five deaths were reported. The states of Kelantan and Terengganu were the most affected, with total 71,180 people evacuated. Johor was not affected by the December 2022 floods, but the state hosted displaced people, who are also not affected by the new floods.