Tossing for prosperity
A gloomy celebration for Sg Lembing residents as they grapple with rising waters, clean-up
THE recent wave of floods and unpredictable weather has robbed residents of Sungai Lembing near here of their Chinese New Year joy as they are busy with major clean-up operations.
A gloomy atmosphere shrouded the former mining town yesterday. Villagers were seen washing premises, while some were making last-minute preparations for their reunion dinner.
Every year, the streets here are choked with traffic on the eve of Chinese New Year, but yesterday, the roads were empty after floods on Thursday submerged parts of the road between Kuantan and Sungai Lembing town.
Shopkeeper Ho Seng Kuen, 82, said the floods this year had caught the neighbourhood by surprise and forced them to spend a lot of time cleaning the mud.
He said the floods had hit the area three times over the past one week, and since it was still raining, villagers were keeping their fingers crossed that there would be no further floods.
“Usually, we would start packing our things and moving them to the upper floor of the house by early December and only bring them down after Jan 1. We did the same this year, and then, the floods hit Sungai Lembing this week.
“We could not save our possessions, including electrical appliances, and there has not been much preparation for the Chinese New Year. Even roads to the town were closed and only opened today (yesterday) morning.”
Ho said he and his wife, Chow Chu Boy, 75, hoped the rain and floods would not ruin their celebration as they were looking forward to seeing their children.
“My children are in Kuala Lumpur, Johor and Penang, and never missed coming home to Sungai Lembing.
“I hope the weather will favour us and the roads will not be submerged,” said Ho, who has 10 children and 16 grandchildren.
Welding company worker Chaw Ah Chai, 62, who returned from Kajang, Selangor, to celebrate Chinese New Year with his mother, Hong Qu Mei, 80, in Sungai Lembing yesterday, said the floods had spoilt the festive mood.
“Usually, the town would be filled with red lanterns and music on the eve of Chinese New Year, but now, it is raining heavily.
“Instead of decorating their homes, residents are cleaning and washing their houses,” he said.
Homestay operator Wong Siew Foo, 47, said most of the villagers were not prepared for the floods as they thought the monsoon season was winding down.
A Sungai Lembing Hakka Association spokesman said the floods that inundated the association’s hall had also damaged some 300 boxes of mandarin oranges that were supposed to have been distributed to residents.
Chinese New Year is the only time when the town is lively, as children who live elsewhere would return home.
According to Pahang Civil Defence Force director Zainal Yussof, as at 4pm yesterday, there were 6,506 people from 1,756 families at 106 relief centres in nine districts in the state.
This represents a decrease from the 7,083 victims from 1,845 families at 97 relief centres in nine districts as at 4pm on Thursday. Page 1 pic: A multiracial group of friends tossing yee sang at Telok Gong, Klang, yesterday.