Evacuees moved out as floods threaten relief centre

PEKAN: A total of 112 flood evacuees in Sekolah Kebangsaan Kampung Temir had to be moved to another relief centre yesterday after floodwaters rose three metres to the first floor of the school where they were staying.

The 27 families were moved out in boats from 9am to the Paloh Hinai National Youth Skills Institute as the floodwaters from a swollen Sungai Pahang continued to rise, said Pekan Fire and Rescue Station chief Wan Samsul Effendi Wan Mahmud.

“The school was flooded when the evacuees were moved in five days ago but they were placed on the first floor.

“However, today the floodwaters began to rise further and the current was strong. It was felt that the evacuees would be in danger and had to be moved out,” he said to Bernama after the transfer of the evacuees.

Wan Samsul Effendi said the transfer took about two hours, and was carried out by the fire and rescue service, police, Malaysian Armed Forces and Civil Defence Force.

One of the evacuees, Mariani Musa, 50, said it had become the norm for the villagers to be housed in a flooded relief centre because the centre in the village was not on high ground like in other areas.

For Mariani, her husband Ahmad Amid, 60, and eight other family members, it was not usual to be staying at a relief centre surrounded by floodwaters.

“Although we cannot go anywhere, the centre is comfortable because it has enough essential goods,” she said.

However, she said, they had to obey the orders of the authorities to move to another centre as they knew best.

Hasliza Amanah, 43, said a similar situation occurred in 2014 when they had to move twice, first to one relief centre and then to another.

“However, I hope the floods will recede soon and life will get back to normal,” she said. — Bernama