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Malaysian authorities have evacuated more than 100,000 people from five northern states in the southeast Asian country, Reuters reports.

While Malaysia faces near-annual flooding as a result of the yearly Northeast Monsoon, this year's rains have been especially destructive, and the floodwater levels have made it difficult for officials to relocate residents. Meanwhile, some Malaysians expressed anger toward Prime Minister Najib Razak, who was photographed earlier this week golfing with U.S. President Barack Obama in Hawaii.

Najib defended his actions, BBC News reports, saying that the trip had been planned for some time, and noting that he returned when the flooding "became more serious."