Floods: Felda Chini Timur 3 never hit this badly before, say residents

PEKAN: The floods in Felda Chini Timur 3 on Saturday (Jan 6) have been described as the worst ever to have occurred in the area.

Muhammad Syazwan Mat Suhaimi, 29, said although his house had been hit by floods before, the water only entered the lower part of the house (kitchen) with a height of about calf level.

“This time, the water also entered the upper part of the house. Heavy rain continuously since noon caused water to enter the kitchen area at about 5pm, and about 30mins later, it began to enter the upper level.

“My family and I could only take essential items and clothes for the night because we were afraid to stay in the house for too long. The surrounding conditions also became chaotic as everyone was busy saving themselves,” he said.

Muhammad Syazwan said that he and his four family members moved to the temporary evacuation centre (PPS) at Dewan Semai Bakti Felda Chini Timur 3 here, which was opened to accommodate 61 flood victims from 14 families.

Meanwhile, Zulfikar Zahari, 32, said that although he had witnessed his neighbour’s house in the low-lying areas being flooded several times, this was his first experience facing a flood since settling there 30 years ago.

The factory worker in Gebeng, Kuantan said he rushed home on Saturday night after being contacted by his younger sister, who had been worried after noticing that the floodwater kept rising.

The damage was for all to see the next day when floodwaters subsided. Zulfikar said many household items were damaged because he and his brother could only move the refrigerator and washing machine to higher ground with the help of neighbours.

“We are somewhat affected because this is our first experience… so we are a bit clueless about what to do during such incidents. We have started cleaning the house, but at the same time, we are still worried because the sky is still dark even though the rain has stopped,” he said.- BK