BENTONG: Surrounded by lush greenery with a stream of crystal clear water trailing through the traditional village, Kampung Sum-Sum in Janda Baik, a popular holiday spot, near here has always been a magnet for nature lovers.
Sadly, the scenic landscape at the settlement here changed in a split second after the village was hit by flash floods caused by a water column during the early hours of April 11.
The village which was spared during the major floods in Janda Baik and Bentong in December last year is now a mess with furniture, electrical appliances and other items covered in mud piled outside houses while some vehicles were damaged after being swept away by strong currents.
Factory worker Kamarul Azzra J. C. Rais, 34, described the floods as 'devastating', saying he did not only lose his belongings but also his five-year-old Proton Saga FLX which was washed away some 100m from his house.
"Besides my job at the factory, I am a freelance photographer and I travel with the Proton car. Everything is gone and I will have to make plans to rebuild my life. My wife is not working and I have triplets who are only three-years-old.
"I live near Sungai Sum-Sum with my elderly mother and other siblings in five separate units. All the five houses were damaged during the floods and we are temporarily staying at the surau here," he said when met at the village.
Kamarul Azzra, who grew up in the village, said his car which was parked not far from the river was hit by the water column and became trapped underneath the bridge.
"Imagine the water pressure when my car which was trapped under the bridge was pushed through the other side several minutes later but it was already mangled. The stream with crystal clear water has now turned murky and some parts of the banks have collapsed.
"Three wooden chalets located along the stream were washed away and only the floors are left. The stream used to be an ideal picnic and bathing spot but the landscape has totally changed and is now filled with huge rocks."
The eldest of nine siblings, Kamarul Azzra said the flash floods last week caught the villagers by surprise as the settlement was located on a hilly area and it was not even affected during the floods which hit Janda Baik last year.
"No one expected such an incident and none of us were prepared to face it. It rained since 1am and about two hours later, the water column hit the village and submerged the surrounding areas," he said, adding his family and siblings suffered losses estimated to be about RM500,000.
Four villages - Kampung Janda Baik, Kampung Sum-Sum, Kampung Cheringin and Kampung Chemperoh - were hit by the floods last week.
A total 140 houses involving some 450 victims in Janda Baik were inundated after the water levels at Sungai Sungai Benus, Sungai Sum-Sum and Sungai Cheringin rose rapidly.
Meanwhile, Mohd Anif Borhan Hassan who lives along Sungai Sum-Sum said barely two weeks ago his house was set with decorative lights and his family were busy entertaining guests for Aidilfitri, and now all their belongings were soaked.
The 36-year-old said the flood water was about 0.5m deep inside the house and most of the wooden furniture inside the living room, and bedroom were floating.
"Some of my cats rescued themselves by climbing onto the mattress which was floating in the water. My family has never experienced floods and we only managed to grab some documents before running towards a nearby hilly area.
"The water receded within an hour but the trail of damages was severe. The entire house is filled with mud and rubbish. Some parts of the house structure collapsed due to the water pressure," said Anif Borhan who lives with his wife and in-laws in the same compound.