PRICELESS SONG BOOK RUINED
Mum of four says she had kept the book for 40 years
WHILE most people will run for their valuables first in the event of a disaster, Jahara Hat went for her “song book”. The 68-year-old mother of four said the book, which contained lyrics to a number of classic songs, was of great sentimental value to her and she had kept it for almost 40 years.
However, the book was ruined by the floods that hit her house on Thursday.
“This is a priceless treasure and it has been my companion when I lived alone in this house for almost one decade before my daughter and grandchildren came to stay with me early this year.
“I always read the lyrics while playing the song in my head whenever I feel lonely, but now the book has been ruined in the floods.
“When my house was hit by floods on Thursday, I was not around. When I came back, it was too late to save the book, which was soaked,” she said at her home in Kampung Tebing Tinggi here.
For Jahara, her age and poor health condition did not help matters as it required a lot of time and energy to scrub away the mud and mess left behind after the house was inundated.
She added that her body was sore from cleaning her home last week and yesterday due to the floods.
Jahara said she took the entire day to sweep the mud and floodwaters out of her home.
Fortunately, since the last floods took place just a few days, most of her furniture, documents and electrical appliances were not damaged as they had been moved to the second floor of her semi-wooden house.
“I live with my daughter and her three schoolgoing children. We don’t have a man in the house to move the heavy furniture.
“During the last floods, we sought help from a neighbour to move the new fridge on to the table and other furniture to the second floor.
“My back and legs are aching from the clean-up last week. After tidying up the ground floor, as well as the compound outside the house again yesterday, I felt the pain has worsened. I am aching all over.”
Another resident, Ahmad Bakri Sulaiman, 56, said he suffered losses amounting to RM15,000 when 90 per cent of his furniture and electrical appliances, some new, were damaged by floodwaters.
As at 2pm yesterday, only 413 evacuees were left at three flood relief centres in Kangar and Arau.
The favourable weather over the past three days enabled more evacuees to return home and relief centres in Padang Besar were closed.
More than 1,500 people in the state were evacuated last week after continuous downpour pounded the northern states last Thursday and Friday.