CHUKAI (Terengganu): Feeling exhausted is an understatement for an elderly woman living near a river in Kampung Jenang here who has been forced to evacuate to a temporary relief centre three times during this monsoon season alone.
Kalsom Mohamad, 80, said she was first evacuated to Dewan Sivik Air Putih here in late November last year.
The following month, she was once again forced to move to the same relief centre due to floods.
Yesterday, Kalsom had to go through the same thing again when she was evacuated to the relief centre for the third time in six weeks after her house was submerged in chest-level floodwaters.
“I’m still exhausted from previous flood incidents, about 8pm yesterday, I was once again forced to move as floodwaters rose rapidly following continuous heavy rain for two days.
“Fortunately, my son is helping me with the cleaning work. Although the floodwaters have subsided, my son asked me to stay here (at the relief centre) and return once he finishes cleaning the house,” she told Bernama when met at Dewan Sivik Air Putih.
Meanwhile, Rosinah Hassan, 50, from Kampung Teladas here, said although the floodwaters had not completely receded, she had started cleaning her house as she did not want it to be covered in a thick layer of mud.
The food seller said this was the worst floods since 2014, with her house submerged in roof-high floodwaters.
As of noon today, a total of 615 people from 146 families have been evacuated to six relief centres in Kemaman.
Meanwhile, the government has allocated about RM8 million to cater for flood evacuees’ basic needs such as dry food items, mattresses, blankets and pillows at eight depots nationwide, Woman, Family and Community Development Minister Rina Mohd Harun said today.
Of the total, Rina said, RM1 million was allocated for Pahang, which as of 1pm today had recorded 10,739 victims from 3,319 families who were housed at 201 relief centres in nine districts.
“The victims and staff from the Social Welfare Department are reminded to continue to comply with the standard operating procedure (SOP) and observe the new normal as stipulated by the National Security Council (MKN) during their stay at the relief centres,” she said.
Rina said this in a statement after visiting flood victims at three relief centres, namely Dewan Kampung Pia, Masjid Kampung Temau and Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Kundang Patah, about 161km from Kuantan, accompanied by Pahang Social Welfare Department director Zulkhairi Zainol Abidin
As of 1pm, according to the department’s Info Bencana portal, six states, namely Pahang, Johor, Selangor, Perak, Kelantan and Terengganu were affected by floods, involving 20,093 evacuees from 5,779 families who were housed at 284 relief centres.