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22 August 2012| last updated at 08:48PM

Flood leaves some of Segambut folks in lurch

By ADRIAN DAVID, RACHEL RIGI and KALBANA PERIMBANAYAGAM
news@nst.com.my


KUALA LUMPUR: The heavy downpour on the third day of Hari Raya celebrations in Segambut left a group of residents in the lurch when their personal belongings and properties were damaged by flash floods.

 

Azi Maisarah Rahmat ,17, said she returned home after celebrating in Singapore to find her house flooded. 
 
“We were shocked. Most of the furniture were destroyed and cannot be used anymore. My relatives’ car, a Kia Rio, which was parked outside the house, was also damaged,” she said, adding that she and her family spent the night at a relative’s house in Hulu Langat. 
 
Technical manufacturing assistant Nor Patimah Jaafar, whose house was also affected in the incident, said other than the furniture, her month’s groceries were also damaged in the incident. 
 
“My husband’s taxi left during our balik kampung trip to Kuala Selangor was also damaged. Now, we are stuck because he cannot use the taxi for work anymore.”
 
The 52-year-old said she was at wit’s end as to how they would be able to take care of the household.
 
“A little help from the authorities would mean a lot to us. We have a lot of cleaning and rebuilding to do,” she added.
Schoolbus driver Zabri Ismail, 50, whose two vans were submerged in the flood, shared Patimah’s views.
 
“It is supposed to be a season for celebration but this flood has ruined everything for us, including what we had worked hard for,“ he said at his house, yesterday.
 
A 44-year-old contractor, Rosli Karim, said he had prepared for the flood when it started raining, but did not expect the water level to rise so high. 
 
“It always gets flooded here but this time it was at the highest,” he said, adding that he lifted most of the items to higher spots than the usual level of water except his fridge, motorcycle and car.
 
Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Ahmad Phesal Talib is expected to visit the victims today. 
 
On Tuesday heavy rain lasting several hours caused flash floods in major roads in the Klang Valley, including Taman Segambut Bahagia and Taman Kolam Ayer.
 
Water had risen almost a metre high, had left several victims trapped in their houses.
 
In Klang, over 100 families were made homeless when flash floods inundated Kampung Jawa in Batu 4 and Batu 5.5, early yesterday.
 
Non-governmental organisation Power Malaysia, MIC and the Social Welfare Department assisted the victims to higher ground temporarily until flood waters receded hours later.
 
MIC social and welfare bureau chief Mohana Muniandy, who is also Power Malaysia president, and her team handed out food and drinks to the victims.
 
Present were district social welfare officer Abdul Ghani Jemani and Power Malaysia media and communications manager J. Surendran and its project manager M. Bharat.
 
The residents reported the loss of their valuables, home appliances and other belongings and complained that poor drainage was the cause of the floods.
 
The Klang Valley has been hit by flash floods since Monday, the second day of Aidilfitri. Worst hit were parts of Kapar where more than 200 families in Kampung Sungai Pinang Bandar who had to cancel their Hari Raya Puasa open houses.

Azi Maisarah Rahmat, 17, a victim of kampung Segambut Bahagia flood victim, drying up her mattress.

Technical manufacturing assistant Nor Patimah Jaafar, 52, whose furniture, and month’s groceries damaged by flood cleaning her house in Kampung Segambut Bahagia, Segambut. -- NSTP pix by Danial Noordin

A taxi that was damaged by floods in Segambut. -- NSTP pix by Danial Noordin

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