JERTIH, Dec 21 — Nine houses were badly damaged, including five which were swept away by strong currents, when floods struck in areas in the Hulu Besut state constituency on Monday (December 19).

Hulu Besut State Legislative Assembly supervising officer Mat Daik Mohamad said Kampung La was the worst hit, with four houses being swept away, while one more was in Kampung Bekok, near Bukit Payong.

"The state government will strive to provide appropriate assistance and I will seek the state government to build new houses for the affected victims.

"Their damaged houses cannot be repaired anymore and (they) need new houses,” he told Bernama while visiting Kampung Bekok, near here, today.

He also described the floods this time as the worst to have occurred in the last 20 years in Hulu Besut when nearly all 40 villages in the state constituency were hit.

Meanwhile, the owner of the one of houses that was swept away in Kampung Bekok, 73-year-old Che Hussin Che Ali said his wooden house, which his younger brother stayed in, was swept away by strong currents during the incident early on Monday morning.

"I gave the house to my brother, Che Jahari, 61, to stay with his children but, on the morning of that same day, we found the house had moved to another place after being swept away.

"Because of that incident, my brother now has to stay with my children nearby,” he said. — Bernama