He said his ministry had identified 342 towers affected by floods across the state as of yesterday, and repairs were being done as fast as possible.

Of the total, operations at 153 towers had resumed, while another 189 towers were still being repaired.

“My ministry, through the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), is working closely with telecommunication companies to repair all towers affected by the floods that hit several states in the country, including those in critical areas in Selangor,” he said in a statement here today.

Annuar said among the constraints faced by MCMC and telecommunication companies to repair the towers at the early stage of the floods were the loss of access to the towers and the lack of electricity supply, which had been cut off by Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) for safety reasons.

“Repair work is being intensified now and the towers are expected to resume operations soon and the transmitters will be activated once the power supply is restored by TNB,” he said.

The minister said MCMC had also held discussions with amateur radio associations to get their services as alternative communication channels in the flood-hit areas.

“Right now, several amateur radio systems are in operation in areas badly hit by floods.

“Residents are advised to be patient while mitigation action is taken to ensure that all residents can enjoy telecommunication services again,” he added.

Thousands of road users in the Klang Valley were stranded for hours after roads and highways were submerged in floodwaters, while tens of thousands of residents had to be evacuated to relief centres since Saturday.

Apart from the Klang Valley, floods were also reported in Pahang, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Terengganu, Kelantan and Perak.