The Worst Comes in Waves
In a decision that baffled Malaysians, the dissolution of the Parliament and the day of the 15th General Election fell precisely within the monsoon season despite expert warnings of early monsoon. Within the week leading up to the election, floods in seven states, namely Pahang, Johor, Penang, Kelantan, Selangor, Malacca, and Kedah, displaced over 3000 victims to 32 evacuation centres, according to the Department of Social Welfare. Issuing warnings of thunderstorms and flash floods in over 12 states, METMalaysia had also raised alerts of large-scale floods in late November, where the nation must brace itself beforehand.