Almost 2,000 displaced as floods worsen in Segamat

SEGAMAT – Continuous downpour in the district has wreaked havoc, forcing almost 2,000 residents to be evacuated from their flood-hit homes.

As of now, there are 30 relief centres opened in the district with 1,771 victims from 452 families, and 29 villages and three housing areas affected, and the numbers are expected to rise further.

Amid the chaos, a couple had to brave the floodwaters to head for an appointment at Klinik Desa Gemas Baru here.

Mohd Ali Saharuddin, 32, said he had to leave his car on the side of the road and lead his pregnant wife on foot in calf-level water for about 400m, to reach the rural clinic.

“My wife is seven months pregnant, and I had to bring her to the clinic for the examination as I am worried about her condition and that of the baby,” he said when met by reporters today.

The couple who has lived in Taman Gembira here for about five years said the flood this time was the worst they had encountered, and it is understood that a similar situation had occurred in 2011.

Meanwhile, a resident of Gemas Baru, Chong Soon Yan, 38, said as her house is in a flood-prone area that is inundated almost every other year, it had been modified to prevent water from getting in and damaging the items inside.

“Ten years ago, the floods were severe, and the house was submerged up to 1.5m. But this time, even though the rain has not stopped since Friday, the water is still at the calf level,” she said, admitting that she is still worried, as there are children and elderly at home as well.

Meanwhile, checks by Bernama at the Sekolah Agama Gemereh relief centre found that all SOPs set by the Health Ministry were being strictly adhered to.

A resident of Kg Seberang Batu Badak, Nor Ashekin Yahaya, 32, said she and her 12-year-old disabled son Mohd Syakir Ikbar, had been evacuated to the centre yesterday.

“My son had to be carried as he cannot walk, while items such as furniture and electrical appliances had to be left behind because the water level rose so fast, and our house is located in a low-lying area,” she said, while expressing gratitude for the excellent services provided at the centre. – Bernama, January 2, 2022