KUALA LUMPUR – The Foreign Ministry and the Thai Government will coordinate assistance for Malaysians stranded in Hatyai following severe floods, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.
According to him, the government will also be receiving updates on the flood situation in the affected areas through the Malaysian Consulate General in Songkhla.
“We will obtain the latest information from our Consul General in Songkhla, and coordination will be carried out with the Foreign Ministry, and possibly with the Thai Government, as well as the Songkhla governor, to channel assistance to our people there.
“As far as possible, they want to return home quickly, and we may provide heavy vehicles to transport them so they can return to their respective areas,” Bernama quoted Zahid telling reporters after officiating the ‘Agenda Nasional Malaysia Sihat (ANMS): Moh Kita Sihat’ roadshow in Alor Setar, Kedah, today.
According to media reports, some 4,000 Malaysians are stranded following floods in Hatyai and several areas in southern Thailand. They are reported to be safe.
Zahid said water levels are expected to recede by midday today, and expressed hope that coordination can be carried out immediately if there are still Malaysians stranded so that they can be brought home as soon as possible.
“Among them are students and teachers, about 40 people, and we hope they will cooperate with the Consul General in Songkhla so they can return to Malaysia,” he said.
Meanwhile, Zahid, who is also National Disaster Management Committee chairman, said he informed the Cabinet that preparedness measures through the Central Disaster Committee and the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) have been mobilised since November 13 for the Northeast Monsoon season.
“Currently, six states are affected…Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Perlis, Kedah and Penang, as well as parts of northern Perak,” he said.
He said the government has coordinated with the relevant agencies to ensure that early evacuation alerts, issued three days before expected heavy rain and rising water levels, are followed.
On Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) candidates who may be affected by floods, Zahid said the Education Ministry already has measures in place to handle the situation. – November 23, 2025