HULU LANGAT: Villagers at Kampung Orang Asli Paya Lebar here are still traumatised by the magnitude of the recent floods, describing the disaster as a harrowing experience that they hope will not be repeated. They said that on that fateful night of Dec 18, floodwaters reached unimaginable levels as they scrambled for safety.
Saidi Anak Manap, 45, said he had just returned from work and was having dinner when the waters began to rise.
“It happened so fast and all I could think of was the safety of my family members, especially the children.
“After 8pm, the power supply was gone and the whole village was completely dark,” he said when met at the village where the General Operations Force’s post-flood operation distributed aid and clean water to the villagers.
Saidi said when the water reached knee level, he and his family realised that it was time to seek shelter.
“We had to wade through the floodwaters in the dark to reach higher ground in the village.
“One of us had to use their handphone as a source of light while the other carried the children to safety.
“It was a harrowing experience and thankfully we reached higher ground. We may have lost all our belongings but at least all of us are safe,” added Saidi.
Village committee chairman Aba Chahim, 53, said it was the worst flood he had ever experienced and he had been living here all his life.
“All the villagers are deeply traumatised by it. More than 250 people live here and we live in fear every time it rains,” he said.
Aba said he hopes the authorities would expedite efforts to deepen the nearby river as well as repair the only bridge in the village.
“We hope it can be expedited so a similar disaster can be avoided,”he said.