location of Kota Tinggi, Johor

This is the exact location of kota tinggi, Johor. It is situated among the southerst state in the Malaysia.

December 21, 2006 17:19 PM

FLOOD IN KOTA TINGGI, JOHOR

JOHOR BAHARU, Dec 21 (Bernama) -- Daily activities in Kota Tinggi were crippled today after flood waters inundated the town up to 1.5 metres high at some places.

The situaton is not expected to improve soon as rain continues to fall since morning.

A Johor Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) spokesman said Sungai Johor was still rising, while the Kota Tinggi police headquarters had described the flood as turning the town into an island.

All roads leading to the town including from Johor Baharu, Desaru and Mersing had been closed to all traffic, a police spokesman said.

Several residents said the present flood was the worst since 1969.

They were also finding it increasingly difficult to get hold of daily necessities.

Syarikat Air Johor corporate communications head Jamaludin Jamil said dams in Kota Tinggi including the Linggiu dam managed by the Singapore government were not responsible for the flood as none of them had released water into the rivers.

Segamat which was cut off due to floods yesterday, had begun to recover though some areas in the town were still flooded.

A DID spokesman there said Sungai Segamat had receded but it was still at the danger level.

However, checks at several sundry shops revealed that basic necessities like eggs, meat and vegetables and dry foodstuff like sugar and rice were running short.

Shopkeepers said the situation was caused by panic buying by some customers and the fact that major roads had been cut off.

"Supply has not been coming in for more than two days since the flood began," one of them said.

Segamat had been cut off from the outside world since Tuesday morning when a river overflowed into the Labis-Chaah road and was made worse by three days of incessant rain that began on Monday.

The situation began to improve yesterday when the rain stopped but several areas in the district, however, were still without clean water and electricity.

The improved weather also meant windfall for car mechanics and dry cleaners as many cars that had been inundated in the flood, would now have to be repaired and cleaned.

Local politicians when asked about problems faced by the residents, said everything would return to normal once the flood water had receded.

The visit by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak later this afternoon brought relief to the people who had criticised the authorities for being slow in helping the flood victims.

In Johor Baharu, the flood situation had also improved though rain was still falling.

A check at Kampung Laut Batu 10 in Skudai showed that the flood had begun to subside and some of 100 families who sought shelter at Sekolah Menengah Pu Sze had returned to their homes.

According to the Johor Social Welfare Department, 45,448 people from 8,938 families were still staying at 252 temporary evacuation centres nationwide.

It said Johor Baharu had 8,317 evacuees, Kota Tinggi 4,114, Kluang 10,448, Muar 9,871, Batu Pahat 4,708, Pontian 2,303, Segamat 5,245 and Mersing 442.

--BERNAMA

fact of Kota TinGgi

Kota Tinggi is a small town in the state of Johor of Malaysia, located around 42 kilometers north-east of Johor Bahru, on the road to Mersing. Kota Tinggi can also be reached by ferry from Changi terminal in Singapore where tourists need to pass through the immigration check point at Tanjung Belungkur ferry terminal before their arrival. Kota Tinggi is also the name of the district where the town is situated.
Kuala Sedili, a small fishing town located 37 km north-east of Kota Tinggi town is the second largest fishing port in east coast of Peninsular Malaysia.