SHAH ALAM: Despite the fear of a repeat of last December’s catastrophe, most residents in flood-prone Taman Sri Muda say they will go out to vote on polling day, if weather permits.
K.S. Nagarajan, 42, told theSun that while he was not pleased the 15th general election (GE15) was being called now, he would fulfil his obligation and exercise his right to vote for the party of his choice.
“There is little point in complaining about the parliamentary polls being called now even though we are heading into the monsoon season.
“We all remember the flash floods of last December. But the fact remains that GE15 has been called and there is nothing we can do about it. So, we should stop complaining and all go out to vote,” he said.
The flood cost Nagarajan his electrical appliances at home such as refrigerator and oven and his sofa. To make it worse, all his eight cars were affected by the floods and he had to sell one while deciding if he wanted to repair the others.
Eng Kim Hoong, 75, said he and his wife were at home when the flash floods hit. He described his experience as “a nightmare”.
“We were traumatised by what happened. The flood reached neck level. We are now preparing for the next flood. While it is our responsibility to vote, if we’re stranded at home, how do we get to vote?
“My priority is to protect my family if there are flash floods again. All of our losses are borne by us and not others,” he said.
Fadzli Said, 42, said he was stranded for four days at his rented shophouse.
“I was on the second floor and couldn’t go anywhere. I survived on bread and biscuits, which I had in my bedroom.
“The first floor was flooded and I couldn’t go downstairs. If the floods come during GE15, I will not be able to vote.
“There’s no way out from my room except through the windows and I don’t own a boat, so I would have to wait for rescuers,” he said.
A continuous downpour on the west coast in December last year resulted in the worst floods in Selangor during the weekend of Dec 18 and 19.
On Oct 10, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah called on government agencies and authorities to be fully prepared for floods during the northeast monsoon.
The King also urged the agencies involved to ensure that assistance reach flood victims effectively, quickly and in a systematic manner.
Al-Sultan Abdullah reminded the authorities that Malaysia faces the risk of flooding every November, so there should not be any excuse for last-minute preparations.
“Recently, the Meteorological Department forecast continuous heavy rain and the risk of large-scale flooding at the end of November. I wish to remind people to also prepare for weather changes that will take place soon.
“I have instructed all relevant agencies to make detailed and comprehensive preparations to cater to the people’s well-being. The preparations must not only be to mitigate the effects of floods, but also to devise a system that ensures assistance reach flood victims in a planned manner, quickly and effectively,” the King said.
