Kelantan police chief Hasanuddin Hassan said it involved three victims during the first wave of the flood while the other two cases were during the second wave, which is currently taking place now.

He said the victims in the second wave were a 57-year-old man in Jeli while the latest involved a 24-year-old man in Tumpat yesterday.

‘’To date, all the deaths were due to drowning.

‘’Most of the cases occurred when the victims were wading through floodwaters,’’ he told reporters after the closing of a motivation camp for children of police personnel at the Kelantan police headquarters here today.

Hasanuddin advised residents, especially in flood-prone areas, to always be careful in the light of the possibility of a third wave of floods taking place.

He said security forces also faced a difficult situation when some victims refused to evacuate to flood-relief centres, giving numerous excuses.

‘’Whatever excuses they give, it is their right. However, if anything out of the ordinary happens, it will make it difficult for them and the rescuers. It is best to evacuate early for safety reasons and not to act only at the last minute,’’ he said.

Commenting on the policemen assigned to police stations close to Sungai Golok, he said to date only two stations, namely Rantau Panjang in Pasir Mas and Kuala Jambu in Tumpat, were flooded.

Although these stations were under calf-deep water, the police personnel were still working there and the public could go to the nearest stations for any police-related business, he added.