ALOR STAR: Operations at several federal government agency offices in the government administration complex in Anak Bukit here have been suspended indefinitely due to severe flooding in the state capital.
Jalan Anak Bukit, the main access route to the complex from the city here, had been cut off since Friday as floodwaters continued to rise.
In a statement, the Kedah Immigration Department announced the closure of its counter operations at its Anak Bukit office until further notice.
"The Immigration Department office at the Home Ministry Building in Anak Bukit has been affected by floods. To ensure safety, all operations and counters in the building will be closed starting from today until further notice," it stated on its official Facebook page today.
Similarly, the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) had also suspended operations at its offices in Anak Bukit, the Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) and a satellite office in Kubang Pasu.
"The IRB continues to monitor the prolonged rainfall and flood situation to ensure operational continuity for the public. However, the safety of all parties is our top priority at this time.
"Therefore, we would like to inform the public that several offices, including those in Anak Bukit, UTC Alor Star and Kubang Pasu, will be temporarily closed from today due to the worsening flood conditions," it said in a statement.
The statement added that the affected offices would reopen only when conditions improve and clearance is obtained from the authorities.
It is understood that the Statistics Department (DOSM), National Registration Department, Labour Department, Occupational Safety and Health Department and the National Anti-Drugs Agency (AADK) office in the complex had also been closed indefinitely.
However, some government agencies, including the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry's Kedah headquarters, were reportedly still operational.
Meanwhile, the flood situation in the state continued to worsen, with 9,129 victims taking shelter in 53 temporary relief centres (PPS) across seven affected districts up to noon today.
The State Disaster Management Committee Secretariat reported that Kota Setar is the hardest-hit district, with 3,301 evacuees from 991 families currently housed at 13 PPS.
Earlier, it was reported that four roads in Kota Setar and ten in Kubang Pasu remained temporarily closed due to flooding. (https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nst.com.my/amp/news/nation/2024/12/1142...)