Kuala Lumpur: More than 100,000 people have evacuated their homes in parts of northern Malaysia hit by the country's worst monsoon floods in decades.
Prime minister Najib Razak said extremely high levels of floodwater and bad weather have made relocating people and sending food supplies by helicopters difficult.
About 105,000 people have been displaced in the states of Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Perak and Perlis. The flooding has also affected Thailand's southern Pattani province. Many parts of Thailand's southern province remain flooded after recent heavy rains, according to local media.
North-eastern peninsular Malaysia, which is worst-affected, is regularly hit by flooding during the annual north-east monsoon, but this year's rains have been particularly bad.
On Tuesday, nearly 60 foreign tourists were among almost 100 people rescued by boat and helicopter from a resort in a Malaysian national park lashed by its highest rainfall since 1971.
The flooding comes as communities in north-western Malaysia mark the 10th anniversary of the devastating 2004 Boxing Day tsunami.
Holiday cut short
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak is cutting short his US vacation to deal with the worst floods in the country in decades.
Authorities have evacuated numerous villages and towns in five Malaysian states that were inundated following unusually strong torrential rains. Flood monitoring centers say more than 105,000 people are living in schools, community halls and other relief centers.
Najib has come under fire for going on holidays in Hawaii, where he was seen golfing with President Barack Obama.
He says he will return to Malaysia on Saturday, heading straight to flood-ravaged Kelantan state to oversee disaster response.
