After several days of maintaining emergency communication links on 7.110 MHz, Amateur Radio volunteers plan to remain active for a while longer to handle local health-and-welfare traffic and any urgent communications in flood-stricken Malaysia. The monsoon flooding that hit parts of Malaysia and Thailand now appears to have eased, but the big clean-up continues. Johnny Tan, 9M8DB, of the Malaysian Amateur Radio Transmitters Society (MARTS) has called the flooding the worst in years in northern Malaysia, claiming lives and forcing thousands to evacuate. Tan said stations in Kuala Lumpur, Kuantan, Kemaman, and Bachok remain on the air.

Radio Amateur Society of Thailand (RAST) Secretary Champ Muangamphun, E21EIC, reported that flooding in southern Thailand has not disrupted normal telecommunications, such as mobile phone networks or the Internet. Amateur Radio communication support was unnecessary in Thailand, but volunteers there remained available to help those in Malaysia. Muangamphun said flood levels have decreased slightly, and emergency distribution of food was under way in flooded areas.

The severe flooding claimed some 2 dozen lives and forced another 250,000 to evacuate or seek higher ground. Seasonal flooding hits Malaysia this time each year, but experts describe this event as the worst since at least 2004, and telecommunication systems have been badly hit. — Thanks to Jim Linton, VK3PC, Chairman, IARU Region 3 Disaster Communications Committee and Champ Muangamphun, E21EIC