Tawau municipal council president Joseph Pang, who also chairs the committee, said the declaration applied to the island area within the district.

“It is hereby declared at 10am today that a drought disaster has occurred in Pulau Sebatik, Tawau,” he said in a statement.

He said the decision followed an assessment of reports and field data from relevant agencies within the committee, which indicated that the area is experiencing prolonged dry conditions.

Pulau Sebatik is an island shared by two countries, with its northern part in Malaysia and its southern portion in Indonesia.