KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 3 — The number of flood victims in Melaka and Kedah has dropped, all flood relief centres (PPS) in Perlis have closed and the situation in Johor remained unchanged as at this afternoon.

In Melaka, the number of evacuees continued to drop to 24 people from nine families at 4pm today, compared with 14 victims from four families previously.

Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM) Melaka director Lt Kol (PA) Cuthbert John Martin Quadra said the evacuees, all from Alor Gajah district, were placed at the PPS at Sekolah Rendah (SK) Durian Tunggal.

"Two other PPS in the district, at Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SJKC) Sin Wah and Dewan Jawatankuasa Pembangunan dan Penyelaras Dewan Undangan Negeri (Japerun) Durian Tunggal, were closed at 2pm today,” he said in a statement.

In Kedah, three PPS were closed, which saw the number of evacuees dropping to 736 people from 200 families as at 4pm.

Kedah APM Disaster Management Committee Secretariat head Mohd Muaz Mohd Yusoff said two of the closed PPS were in Baling district and one was in Kubang Pasu.

"The two PPS in Baling — Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Siong and SK Tunku Putera — were closed at 2pm today, while that in Kubang Pasu at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Changlun was closed at noon today.

"These three PPS previously housed 24 victims from 11 families but several other PPS saw an increase in victims as at 4pm,” he said in a statement.

He said the 736 evacuees from 200 families in four districts were at 10 PPS, with Pendang registering the highest number of 292 victims from 75 families at two PPS.

Kota Setar district had 275 victims from 80 families at four PPS, followed by Kubang Pasu with 120 victims from 30 families at two PPS and Pokok Sena with 49 victims from 15 families at two PPS.

In Perlis, the flood situation improved further and all PPS in Arau were closed at 2pm today.

State Welfare Department director Mohammad Hazam Ismail said all the evacuees were allowed to return home after the water in their houses subsided.

In Johor, the number of flood victims in Pontian district remained at 18 people from four families at 4pm today.

State Health and Environment Committee chairman R. Vidyananthan said the evacuees, all from Kampung Paya Embun, had been placed at the PPS at SK Melayu Raya since 9pm yesterday.

In a statement, he said the weather in the area was overcast today but flood waters had almost fully receded. — Bernama