At least five people have been killed by the rising waters and there appeared little respite on the way today, with forecasters predicting further heavy rainfall across previously unaffected southern parts of the country.
As local media carried photographs of people wading through flood waters as deep as two metres and entire houses submerged by rising water, the government faced criticism for not declaring a state of emergency to help devastated communities.
Among the dead was a man who drowned at a relief centre on Christmas eve, while a rescue boat carrying eight people including a young couple went missing after it became entrapped in a whirlpool and capsized, the news agency said.
Rising flood water has rendered several roads unusable and authorities have suspended train services in some of the worst-affected areas. Communications have also been badly hit by the storms.
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Malaysian Prime Minister Najib called on rescue workers desperately trying to reach flood victims to step up their efforts to deliver food and water.
Najib himself came under fire, however, when photos emerged of the premier playing golf with Obama in Hawaii, with Malaysians questioning why he was not at home to deal with the crisis in posts on his official Facebook page.
Critics have also charged his government with failing to respond quickly enough, with some lambasting the authorities for not declaring a state of emergency in the worst-hit regions.
"He has been working very hard so let's be fair to him as a human being. Don't worry, I'm in charge."
Yassin also insisted the government had responded appropriately to the flooding, telling the newspaper: "We face floods every year but this is looking to be the worst the country has seen in the last 30 years.