Her women-only reflexology centre was badly affected by the restrictions of the Covid-19 pandemic. Customers had slowly been coming back in October.
Then the floods happened, wiping out her centre. And in the midst of fleeing to higher ground, she said she was refused a lift by city council (MBSA) staff.
Loges lives with her husband Subramaniam at Taman Sri Muda, one of the areas worst hit by the disaster. Subra, who is also blind, works as a receptionist at the Malaysian Association for the Blind in Kuala Lumpur.
They had built the reflexology centre from scratch after Loges completed her training at MAB, spending nearly RM5,000 to RM6,000 to renovate their house to accommodate her customers.
Subra, 42, said their house was prone to flooding when it rains heavily, but they had not expected the floods this year to be so bad.
“Since we moved into this house in 2019, the house has flooded five times but it was usually manageable. This time, it took her (Loges’) whole business. The whole ground floor was flooded. Everything is gone – the massage bed, the air-conditioning unit, furniture, telephone lines, and other items.
“At about 4.30am, my wife’s cousin, who was staying over, told her the water was rising in the kitchen,” he said, adding that he was working in Kuala Lumpur during the floods.
By 11am, the water had risen to the sink. After waiting for a while, Loges and her cousin decided to walk to the nearest shelter as they felt there was nothing much they could do.
“They had to walk in the rain towards the nearest train station, which was 7km away,” Subra said. “They really felt helpless.”
Just then, Shah Alam City Council (MPSA) staff passed by in a four-wheel drive vehicle.
“My wife’s cousin asked the MPSA staff if they could give them a lift but one of the staff said, ‘We will only help people who are in a more difficult situation’ and left.
“They didn’t help my wife even though she is an OKU and blind.”
Subra is frustrated with the authorities’ lack of empathy and action. “What is the government doing? If they can’t even help an OKU during this critical time, then why is there even a government?”
In the end, a lorry driver gave Loges and her cousin a lift to a nearby hotel, which was also flooded and out of electricity. They stayed there and left for Kuala Lumpur the next day.
Subra said Loges was not only traumatised by the incident but was also worried about her business. “We don’t know when she can start her business all over again,” he said.
Those who wish to help the couple may do so by making a donation into Logeswary’s BSN account No. 1415429000119091 (reference “Logsu Flood Relief”) or contact Subra at 016-5605392.