KUALA LUMPUR - MONSOON rains and flooding have killed 17 people in Malaysia, made 20,000 homeless and could push up food and palm oil prices.
The New Straits Times newspaper reported on Saturday that the Meteorological Department forecast more heavy rain for at least the next four days and Pahang and Kelantan states have been put on red alert.
Kelantan registered the most deaths with eight, the paper said. The monsoon rains have cut off roads.
Economists have said the rains could cause an increase in food and palm oil prices in Malaysia, one of the world's largest producers of the edible oil, which is used in products ranging from shampoo and ice-cream to biofuels.
Plantation officials say heavy rains have slowed down harvest and transportation of palm oil.
M'sians told not to treat floods as water carnival
Malaysians were ordered to stop their children playing in floodwaters that have ravaged the country, as authorities warned on Saturday that monsoon rains might not ease until February.
Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak was quoted by the national Bernama news agency as saying that many children regarded the floods as a water carnival without realising the depth and the strength of the water current.
Mr Nik Aziz Nik Mat, chief minister of north-east Kelantan state which was hit by floods, also cautioned Malaysians against playing in floodwaters.
'The death of one of the victims was not caused by the floods but because he jumped into the river for fun,' he was quoted as saying by the Malay-language Berita Harian newspaper.
The floods have claimed 17 lives since last week in Kelantan and three other states that suffer extensive thunderstorms each year during the monsoon season from November to February, according to relief coordination centers in the four states.
The centres reported that some 20,279 people were still sheltering in town halls, schools and community centres on high ground.
'Malaysia, especially the east coast, is experiencing the peak of heavy monsoonal rains which started on Dec. 5,' said Mr Mohamad Helmi Abdullah a weather forecaster at the Meteorological Department.
'There is likely to be several periods of heavy downpour between now until late January or early February,' he told said.
Flood relief efforts in full swing
KUANTAN- Mr Najib said flood relief efforts are proceeding smoothly, with all evacuees seeking refuge at relief centres receiving sufficient food and other supplies.
The deputy prime minister said relief operations were sometimes hampered by bad weather but would proceed as normal once weather conditions improved.
The number of helicopters, boats and other necessary equipment has also been increased, he told reporters after opening Mission Biotechnologies Sdn Bhd's biodiesel plant at Kuantan Port on Saturday.
On flood victims who refused to move to relief centres, Mr Najib, who is also National Disaster Management and Relief Committee chairman, said they would also be given aid.
He said it was difficult to predict when the situation in flood-hit states would return to normal as this would depend on weather conditions.
Malaysia has increased flood mitigation efforts after suffering one of its worst periods of monsoon flooding last year, in which it suffered estimated losses of RM1.2 billion (S$522 million). -- AP, AFP, BERNAMA
http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2...ry_187114.html
M'sia floods kill 17, more rain to come 
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