The death toll from floods rose to six today, as torrential rains in six states forced nearly 80,000 people to flee their homes and experts warned the capital was now under threat.

The latest victim was a woman aged in her 60s who was found dead in her home in the worst hit state of Johor.

Other casualties were washed away in their cars and in rivers.

"The number of evacuees in Johor has increased to 63,699," the Civil Defense Department's chief of disaster management, Che Moin Umar, told AFP .

Another 11,195 people had been evacuated from Malacca, 2,504 from Pahang, 314 from Negeri Sembilan, and a total of 604 from Kelantan and Terengganu, he said.

The rains, which started on Sunday in Johor, Pahang, Malacca and Negeri Sembilan, have now spread to northeastern Kelantan and Terengganu states, flooding low-lying areas and inundating villages.

Reports of looting

The meteorological department warned the Klang Valley which Kuala Lumpur sits in would be affected if heavy rains persist. It issued its most severe "red stage" heavy rain warning for the area, advising residents to be prepared.

"The heavy rainfalls and wind condition that are currently affecting states in the east coast and Johor are expected to bring heavy downpour to the Klang Valley and its surrounding areas," it said, according to the state Bernama news agency.

Che Moin said relief operations were largely smooth but that because of the scale of the disaster there were some delays in meeting requests for assistance.

There were reports of looting in Johor's worst-hit town of Segamat, as well as stores emptying as residents stocked up.

The meteorology department also issued strong wind warnings of up to 70 km/h and rough seas with swells of up to 5.5 metres off Malaysia's east coast, and Sabah and Sarawak, until Sunday.

Several villages on Terengganu's coast late Wednesday were lashed by strong winds and tides, forcing hundreds to flee as waves washed over their homes, reports said.