Johor govt introduces special task force to address flood hotspots

KULAI – The Johor government has introduced a special task force to address flood hot spots across the state and develop a holistic mitigation strategy, said Johor executive councillor Mohd Jafni Md Shukor.

This comes as the number of flood victims in the southern state dropped to 8,040 as at 4pm on March 22, down from 13,089 earlier in the morning.

The Johor housing and local government committee chairman said the committee was established in collaboration with local councils and federal agencies.

“We already have a task force at the committee level, but today, the state government has decided to form a broader task force involving the drainage and irrigation department, district offices, and local councils,” Datuk Mohd Jafni said.

He said this when met by reporters after the Hari Raya Aidilfitri aid handover ceremony at Dewan Raya Putra on March 22.

He added that the task force would also reassess developments along Sungai Skudai and Sungai Tebrau, which had historically suffered from inadequate federal funding for deepening and cleaning efforts.

“The flooding issue in Johor is an ongoing challenge, and we are committed to solving it step by step. We will also review special area plans and district action plans to identify which housing estates and villages along these riverbanks are at risk, allowing us to take necessary precautions for the future.”

Mr Mohd Jafni also noted that the recent floods were exacerbated by extreme rainfall, which significantly surpassed usual levels. He explained that typical rainfall is around 20mm per hour per square foot. However, in the past few days, it reached 160mm per hour – six times the usual amount – and continued for over 48 hours.

“As a result, areas near Sungai Tebrau