Residents scramble through neck-deep floods in Malaysia to save their possessions.

Authorities reported that 3,722 people were affected by the widespread deluge in Sarawak and have been evacuated to 40 temporary shelters as of 11 pm on January 29.

Dramatic footage shows locals wading through the surging floodwaters on Wednesday. Another clip shows submerged vehicles, with some only their roofs visible.

Resident Mohd Fadli Mohamed Salleh said this flood was the worst he had ever experienced.

He added: 'Bintulu was hit by the worst flood in history due to heavy rain.'

The Bintulu District Disaster Committee Chairman, Awang Mohammed Nizam Awang Ali Bohan, said that emergency responders had been carrying out rescue operations for the affected residents.

He added: 'The telephone lines of the Sarawak Fire and Rescue Operations Center were jammed due to too many calls requesting rescue assistance.'

The Sarawak State Disaster Management Committee Secretariat reported that most of the Bintulu district was flooded.

Among the worst affected areas are Kampung Kemunting, Bandar Jaya Jalan Alamanda, Gem Park, Taman Bukit Orang, Taman Jason, Pine Court, and San San Garden.

Malaysia and neighbouring countries in Southeast Asia have been experiencing the monsoon season, which sees soaring temperatures followed by powerful rain storms. The rudimentary infrastructure often struggles with the deluge, leading to widespread flash floods.