RAYA IN FLOODWATERS
Jasin village residents move to relief centre as flood situation worsens
KELLY KOH
JASIN kelly.koh@nst.com.my
MARIAH Taha, 74, is not unfamiliar with floods. This year, however, marked the first time she and her family spent Hari Raya Aidilfitri surrounded by water.
Mariah said she was having her Raya breakfast with her siblings, children and grandchildren at her home in Kampung Tanjung Laboh on Monday when floodwaters hit her home.
“When I woke up at 5am, it was still raining, but my house was not flooded yet.
“At 7am, I had just prepared food for my family. I then noticed water seeping into my home.
“We did not think much of it and continued eating because the water rose very slowly,” she said at the flood relief centre at SK Tehel here yesterday.
She said she and her family soon found themselves eating in the midst of the waters.
Realising the seriousness of the situation, Mariah stacked her belongings and valuables away from the water, when it rose calf-deep at 11am.
She and her family left for the relief centre at noon.
“Eating in the water was quite a fun experience for us, but having to spend the night at the relief centre during Hari Raya was not so pleasant,” she said, adding that she had lived in the village for 35 years.
She said she was disappointed that she could not wear her new green baju kurung tailored for the second day of Hari Raya to visit her son’s in-laws in Alor Gajah.
“My hopes were dashed when my grand-daughter and I did not get to wear our new baju kurung.
“Instead, she and I ended up spending the time here at the relief centre with my neighbours, whose homes were also flooded.”
She said her remaining family members had gone back to their homes to celebrate Raya.
Mariah said that she was also disappointed that she was unable to host her Hari Raya open house to welcome relatives and friends.
As of yesterday, the flood situation in Alor Gajah district had improved, with the Balairaya Bukit Tambun relief centre closing at noon, allowing 87 victims from eight families to go home.
“Balai Raya Bukit Balai and Balai Raya Kampung Pulau are open to accommodate 58 victims from 14 families,” said Melaka Flood Disaster Management chief secretariat Liutenant-Colonel Effendy Ali.
The flood situation here worsened with 96 victims from 19 families from Kampung Tanjung Laboh and Kampung Parit Lampong sheltering at the relief centre at SK Tehel.
Bemban assemblyman Datuk Ng Choon Koon, who visited the victims, said he had arranged for a bus service to Hari Raya open houses hosted by Rim assemblyman Datuk Ghazale Muhamad and Merlimau assemblyman Datuk Roslan Ahmad so that people could enjoy Raya despite their predicament.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Idris Haron, who visited the flood victims, said he had instructed the Department of Irrigation and Drainage and local authorities to identify the cause of the floods and take measures to tackle the situation.