PETALING JAYA: Thousands of Malaysians remain stranded in Hat Yai as floodwaters rise, cutting off roads, submerging buildings and slowing rescue efforts to a crawl.
Volunteers warn the situation is critical, with families trapped for days without food, water or access to safety.
United Sikhs Malaysia, coordinating with voluntary fire brigades from Sungai Petani and several NGOs, said shifting water levels and damaged infrastructure are creating major logistical hurdles for evacuation missions.
“On Tuesday water was high and the current was strong. Trucks broke down as water entered into it. Today water has lessened and more help is arriving, but in some places water has not receded,” a spokesperson said.
She added that Malaysian teams attempting to bring in additional vehicles were still unable to cross the border.
“I have direct messages from the consulate itself that the volunteers and other heavy vehicles are stuck at the border. They have been stuck for days without food or water. For now we are not counting heads in detail. This can be a flaw.
“We need someone from the government to come in and set up a control centre. We need experienced and skilled manpower – army, people in government that handle crises like this.”
The teams have been relying on rented large trucks to move evacuees from Hat Yai to Danok, but such vehicles are increasingly difficult to secure.
“To source large trucks is already very, very difficult. We are renting large trucks to bring in those stranded.
“Some areas have water levels so high that four-wheel drives cannot enter,” she said.
Several locations remain inaccessible due to the depth of the floodwaters.
“In some places, the water has risen to the height of a connecting bridge between buildings and boats cannot pass through,” she said.
She added that the Hat Yai Central Mall has served as the main pick-up point, but prolonged flooding has slowed each evacuation cycle to nearly two hours.
“On the first day of our mission on Sunday, between than 1,000 and 1,500 people were rescued.
“The second day was lesser because many places were cut off and we couldn’t enter.”
The organisation said in a Facebook update around 11pm on Tuesday that Day 3 operations remained “tough”, with volunteers reaching only about 600 Malaysians due to blocked passageways and rising water.
“The list is getting longer. Some areas remain cut off,” she said, adding that volunteers would continue trying to enter Hat Yai when conditions permit.
