The minister Annuar Musa said the move was so that damage to the telecommunications towers could be reduced and communications would not be cut off in the event of disasters.

“I have also asked the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission to take the initiative to ensure telecommunications towers at flood-prone areas would not have equipment at ground level.

“Communication systems should not be cut off even if water rises to 10 feet or even after floods recede. With this initiative, at least those trapped on rooftops of their houses can send SOS (for help),” he said at a media conference after completing the Jelajah Prihatin KKMM programme at Yayasan Kemiskinan Kelantan Peringat, here.

Media outlets previously reported that repairs to almost 1,000 telecommunications towers that sustained damage and caused disruptions to telecommunication coverage after the recent floods had been completed.

Annuar added that he wanted related parties, including the information department, to draft a more effective information delivery system in flood-prone areas, including early warnings.

“We currently use conventional methods, such as Info On Wheels and such, but these are limited … I want information that can reach every user exposed to disasters wherever they are.

“Look at Japan, when an earthquake is about to happen, even a minor one, the information will reach every mobile phone user, even tourists will receive the message.

“Even though we currently have a system I want a better one, especially after what we went through with the recent floods,” he said.

In other developments, he said that 5,000 Keluarga Malaysia Community volunteers have been mobilised to assist in post-flood efforts, including cleaning houses.

“Other countries would take around three months to recover from floods like this. Yet, we can handle the problem within a matter of two weeks.”