KUALA LUMPUR (March 19): Malaysia suffered damages totalling RM933.4 million from floods in 2024, a 23% increase from the previous year, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).

The economic impact from the floods was concentrated in living quarters, public infrastructure, and agriculture, DOSM said in a Wednesday statement. By states, Kelantan, Terengganu, and Kedah suffered the most, particularly in housing and business premises.

“Moving forward, reinforcing adaptive infrastructure, improving flood defences, and optimising resource allocation will be key to safeguarding long-term economic resilience and stability," said chief statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin.

The statement follows a special survey to assess the impact of floods in 2024 that affected all states. Kelantan alone racked up losses of RM139.0 million, followed by Terengganu at RM103.1 million and Kedah at RM54 million.

The largest losses were recorded in living quarters, which more than doubled to RM372.2 million in 2024. The second-largest losses were from public assets and infrastructure, which amounted to RM303.4 million, followed by the agricultural sector at RM185.2 million.

Meanwhile, losses in business premises during 2024 totalled RM54.1 million. For vehicle damage, losses due to the floods stood at RM17.3 million. The key manufacturing sector saw the least impact at RM1.2 million.

“These figures highlight the economic risks associated with recurring floods and the need to enhance resilience,” Mohd Uzir said.

The losses in 2024, however, pale in comparison to the massive deluge in 2021 that inundated 11 states, killing more than 50 people and displacing tens of thousands of people from their homes. The disaster, described as a “once in a century” by the government, resulted in loss of over RM6 billion.

Since then, Malaysia has been accelerating flood mitigation efforts, allocating some RM22.57 billion to more than 120 projects nationwide.