GEORGE TOWN: Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob will make his first official visit to Kedah as Prime Minister on Monday (Aug 23).

       He will be visiting the Merbok and Kuala Muda districts which have both been declared Level One disaster areas.

       Ismail Sabri is expected to visit several flood-hit areas and meet with families affected by the disaster.

       According to the itinerary for the visit that was shared with the media on Sunday (Aug 22), he will be visiting several disaster areas including the Tupah Bridge, Taman Lembah Merbok and the Tupah water plant.

       He is expected to spend a day in Kedah before heading back to Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 4pm.

       On Wednesday (Aug 18), flash floods from a heavy afternoon downpour caused a water surge and landslides on Gunung Jerai while three districts – Yan, Kuala Muda and Bandar Baharu in Kedah – were hit by flash floods.

       The floods claimed four lives, caused several other people to be injured, and damaged numerous homes and infrastructure.

       It was reported that 24 people who are Covid-19 positive and undergoing quarantine at home had been relocated to two low-risk Covid-19 quarantine and treatment centres due to the floods.

       Kedah Mentri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said the Yan and Kuala Muda districts had been declared Level One disaster areas based on the instructions of the National Security Council due to the seriousness of the floods.