KUALA LUMPUR – The expression “Christmas came early” was never the case for the Christian flood victims throughout the country as many were left reeling in the aftermath of the devastating floods just days before.
For them, Christmas did not come at all this year, and will be remembered as a day they wish to put behind them.
“To be honest, it doesn’t feel like Christmas at all,” Noreen Ann told The Vibes.
The 31-year-old was among the hundreds of Christians in the country who had to spend their December 25 covered in mud, as they struggled to clean their houses even a week after floods wreaked havoc in various parts of the country.
Her double-storey house was submerged about 2m deep, as the water level increased rapidly on December 18, damaging virtually everything on the first floor.
She estimated the damage caused by the flood to be over RM30,000.
Noreen, who lives with her parents and sister, said that since they evacuated the house on December 19 to seek shelter at a relative’s place, they have been returning home every day when the sun rises to do clean-up.
Until today, she said, cleaning works have yet to be completed in her house, adding that the stench from the floodwaters makes it virtually impossible to inhabit.
As far as her family is concerned, Christmas is the last thing on their minds.
“We did not celebrate Christmas at all. It has been just cleaning all week long. On Christmas Eve, we were cleaning, and so were we on Christmas Day itself.
“We only went to church in the evening before having a simple dinner at my aunt’s house. There’s nothing to celebrate. Even our Christmas tree is damaged. Moss is starting to grow in our kitchen.
“Not many people are able to help us, and I understand that their houses are inundated too. Others also have work to do.”
However, beyond the damage caused by one of the country’s worst floods in recent history, Noreen said she is most grateful that everyone she knows is safe.
This includes her 83-year-old grandparents living in the same neighbourhood, who were evacuated from their home by boat last Sunday.
“I don’t remember being happier than when I heard the news that they were safely out of their house. I’m just glad everyone is safe,” she said.
Edner Patrick Stephen, who on December 21 had travelled from Sarawak, where he lives with most of his family members, only to be greeted by the sight of a flooded home in Shah Alam, also recalled how the disaster dampened his family’s Christmas spirit.
“The past week has been devastating, both mentally and physically, especially since our families were previously separated by the Covid-19 travel restrictions.
“Now, we’re greatly affected financially by the flood since a lot of our household items and personal belongings were damaged,” he told The Vibes, noting that his family suffered approximately RM50,000 in losses.
With efforts to clean his home still ongoing to this day, Edner and his family had celebrated Christmas at a relative’s home in Bandar Saujana Putra.
“Despite the tragedy, I’m thankful and blessed to be able to spend time with my family this Christmas.
“Since we’ve lost some family members over the past few years, we use this day to count our blessings and recall our memories of better times,” he said.
East coast flood victims reel from devastation
While east coast states are known to face a more tumultuous monsoon season every year, making them more flood-prone than areas in Selangor, this year’s flash floods were at an unexpected level.
Speaking to The Vibes, 47-year-old Nyana Sunthary Sukumaran from Kuantan, Pahang said that she is used to heavy rainfall around this time of the year, with her family taking the necessary precautions annually.
“We will keep an eye on the increasing water levels at the village and field near our house. If the water continues to rise, we will carry our mattresses and put them on plastic chairs.
“We did the same thing this year, but the water kept on rising until my house was around six feet underwater,” she said, noting that her family of five had fled to her parent’s home nearby for safety.
Nyana, whose youngest daughter is just 9 years old, also recalls a muted Christmas that was “not as good as every year”.
“We only went to church for Christmas mass and came back home. The next day, we started to clean our house. We had to throw away most of our belongings such as mattresses, clothes, books, and some electrical items.
“Even our groceries were floating in the water,” she lamented, adding that her family is still in the process of cleaning and restoring their home to its original state.
“I’m lucky enough to have family members living close by. Because of them, my family had a place to stay and food to eat.
“Cleaning work is much more taxing this year as we have been cleaning our home for a week now, even though we usually only need one day to clean up the mess,” she said.
P. James Pichapillai, whose home in Karak, Pahang is located just 200m away from areas badly hit by the floods, spoke with The Vibes about how there was no reason for Christmas cheer this year.
“We usually have carolling sessions at public centres, but this year, we only had brief prayers on Christmas Eve with no other celebrations.
“Some people could not even show up at church because most of their clothes had been damaged by the muddy waters from the flood, and there was also no electricity or water supply at the time,” the member of the Emmanuel Assembly of God church said.
James also advised those in less flood-prone areas to avoid staying in houses built on low ground or by the riverside as such areas are more likely to face flooding.
“Once the water level rises and begins to enter homes, the people must report the situation to the authorities, who must then do their part in ensuring that the public is protected,” he said.
Despite the lack of Christmas fanfare this year, James remains hopeful that positive developments are around the corner.
“This year’s flood is by far the worst in our nation’s history, but with God’s grace, everything will be okay and under control soon,” he added. – The Vibes, December 29, 2021
Additional reporting by Qistina Nadia Dzulqarnain
.jpeg)
