MARAN – Taman Maran Jaya residents here are hoping that the Social Welfare Department (JKM) will continue to provide assistance to them while they settle in following the devastating floods that hit the housing estate on Sunday.
Its Rukun Tetangga (neighbourhood watch) chairman Haris Suhairi Abdullah said most residents are now busy cleaning up their homes, which are covered with thick mud and much of their furniture, electrical equipment and utensils badly damaged.
“I hope the residents can continue to get food assistance from JKM for one or two more days,” he told Bernama.
Taman Maran Jaya, which is home to 1,300 people from 302 families, is among the locations hit by severe floods in Pahang after incessant heavy rain from Saturday night.
Resident Mohamad Hanif, 27, said it would be easier for the neighbourhood if food supplies are provided by JKM because most homes there are in a “nightmarish state” and cooking is a problem.
“We are thankful to JKM for sending food aid to all residents housed at flood evacuation centres before this. Today, some of those families send food over to my family because we are still busy cleaning up our home.
“So I hope JKM can continue to send food aid to us until we finish cleaning up and buy new stoves,” he said.
The floods there subsided on Monday and residents were allowed to return on Tuesday to clean their homes.
Some have opted to stay in their homes even though they are in a bad state, while others continue to put up at their relief centres while they get their houses sorted out.
The appeal for food assistance is for those who opt to stay in their ravaged homes. Those still at the relief centres are well cared for.
Pahang has been badly hit by the northeast monsoon floods in the peninsula, with the number of evacuees standing at 27,073 people from 7,278 families, who are housed at 275 temporary relief centres in nine districts as of this morning. – Bernama, January 8, 2021
