South Malaysia flooding kills six

About 60,00 people in southern Malaysia have been displaced by the worst flooding in the area in living memory.

Swathes of Johor, the state that borders Singapore, are under water.

Officials say six people have died but the toll is expected to rise as emergency services struggle to cope.

It is the south of the country that has suffered the worst of the flooding but now other parts of Malaysia are bracing themselves amidst warnings of storms and tidal surges.

Parts of the state of Johor are without piped water or electricity.

The towns of Segamat and Kota Tinggi have been effectively cut off in recent days, as have dozens of smaller communities.

The neighbouring states of Malacca, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang have also been affected.

Officials told the BBC that the region had experienced its heaviest rainfall in a century and that the number of people forced to leave their homes is unprecedented.

The leader of the main opposition party, the DAP, has described the relief effort as being in complete disarray.

But government sources say the emergency services have performed well in difficult circumstances and that further help will be sent.

Weather forecasters say they expect the situation across southern Malaysia to improve in the coming days.

However, there are worries that with further heavy rain forecast elsewhere, Malaysia's east coast and the densely populated area around Kuala Lumpur could be hit next.