TUMPAT: Residents from the 10 villages in Tumpat who were affected when Sungai Golok overflowed its banks have turned to boats as their main mode of transportation.
Some of the affected villages are Kampung Kajang Sebidang, Palas, Bendang Pak Yong, Kubang Sawa, Chenerong Siam and Kuala Jambu.
Shapawi Kamarrudin, 45, a resident of Kampung Kajang Sebidang, said boats are now their preferred mode of transport after most of the main roads connecting the 10 villages were inundated up to one metre.
"When water from Sungai Golok and the floodwaters started inundating the villages, all the vehicles were taken to higher ground about five kilometres from this settlement.
"This area will also look like an island in a week or two because the floodwaters will remain stagnant before flowing back into the sea," he told reporters here today.
A Bernama survey found that most residents in the affected villages had boats to facilitate their movement during floods.
A resident of Kampung Kuala Jambu, 48-year-old Ramli Yunus said more boats have been used since yesterday evening after Sungai Golok overflowed its banks.
"We have to go through three to five kilometres of floodwaters to reach dry land, where we can use our vehicles that we had parked there earlier.
"This has become a norm for us each time the monsoon season comes. Some villages use private boats or chartered boats," he said.
Meanwhile, a resident from Kubang Sawa, 31-year-old Mohd Asri Ismail said the demand for chartered boats has been a boon for him in terms of earning side income.
"I charge a fee of RM3 per journey. I can make around RM200 daily from providing chartered boat service from 6.30 am to 8 pm," he said. – BERNAMA