KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 — Over 40,000 people are still affected by the floods in Johor as of 2pm today, while the situation in Pahang and Melaka slightly improved with several temporary relief centres (PPS) being closed and victims were allowed to return home.

In Johor, the number of evacuees still taking shelter at the PPS had dropped slightly from 45,218 to 44,934 following the closure of one relief centre at Sekolah Kebangsaan Kahang Batu 28, Kluang.

According to the State Disaster Management Committee (JPBN) secretariat, there are 173 PPS still operating in six districts in the state, with Batu Pahat remains as the most severely affected with 38,135 evacuees, followed by Muar (3,432), Tangkak (2,073) Segamat (1,019), Mersing (219) and Kluang (56).

Seven rivers in the state are still recording dangerous levels, such as the Batu Pahat river at Bekok Dam which is currently at 19.8m, Muar river in Bukit Kepong at 4.59m and Bekok river in Yong Peng at 2.93m.

In Pahang, the JPBN secretariat reported that only 677 evacuees remained at five PPS in the Rompin this afternoon compared to 1,804 evacuees at 12 PPS reported in the morning.

The water level of the Keratong river in the district had also dropped to an alert level from the dangerous level earlier.

In Melaka, the JPBN secretariat said the number of evacuees in Jasin had also declined to 442 from 116 families this afternoon. All of them are being housed at five PPS. — Bernama