With their homes left vacant after evacuating, the residents of Kampung Alor Ali in Tanah Merah fear losing their belongings to burglars. This prompted Ahmad Shafie, 34, and a few friends to patrol their village and the surrounding area as a precautionary measure.

“It’s been a week since the floods hit the village and we do not know when the floodwaters will recede. So we took the initiative to patrol in the morning and evening.

“So far, the situation seems to be peaceful and there have been no reports of a burglary,” he said, according to Bernama.

Ahmad said he and his friends also conduct patrols in Kampung Alor Mengkuang and Kampung Tok Pauh, which have also been affected by floods.

Rashidi Muda, 48, said these villages were deserted after the residents were evacuated to temporary relief centres.

He said he and his wife would sometimes head back to their home by boat just to feed their seven cats left there.

Another resident, Affendi Mahmud, 30, said the floods usually take a long while to recede as their villages are located in a low-lying area.

“It’s going to be some time before we can go back. Hopefully, there is not much damage to the house and also the furniture,” he said.

Bernama also reported that some villagers at Kampung Alor Melintang in Alor Setar have refused to relocate despite their homes being inundated with floodwaters. NGOs have been on the ground distributing aid to these residents.

Kota Setar is the worst-hit district in Kedah, with 5,235 people evacuated to 19 relief centres as of noon today.