KUALA LUMPUR – A flood victim in Hulu Langat expressed her disappointment with Entrepreneur and Co-operative Development Minister Tan Sri Noh Omar over the failure of government agencies to immediately render assistance to flood victims when they were trapped by the floods on the first day.
In a video that has since gone viral across social media, the woman mentioned that three Indonesians had taken the effort to row a boat to the scene and help rescue the child of a flood victim who was trapped on the roof of their home.
“If Tan Sri wants to know, only Indonesians helped us. Three of them rowed a boat to save the child of a lady who was trapped on the roof of a house, from midnight until 4.30am, perhaps 5.30am.
“Indonesians helped us. Where were the government agencies at that time?” she questioned the Tanjung Karang MP.
"We called all the government agencies but none of them came to help us who were trapped in the house" pic.twitter.com/b0cWc6v9LX
— TheVibes.com (@thevibesnews) December 22, 2021
It is learnt that nearly 100 residents at Taman Sri Nanding were trapped in the floods last Sunday and were forced to take shelter at the rooftop of Surau Al-Munir for more than 12 hours.
The victims included the disabled, senior citizens in wheelchairs, newborn infants, and pregnant mothers who were forced to spend the night cold and freezing under such circumstances.
Noh, who was state National Security Council (NSC) chairman prior to Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari’s reappointment, yesterday could only listen and nod his head in attention to the woman’s grouses.
The two-minute plus video also showed the victim claiming that the government agencies had failed to act immediately during the rescue operation despite receiving calls to do so from stricken flood victims.
Noh, who is also Umno state liaison chief, then asked the woman whether the Fire and Rescue Department were contacted.
Even as she aired her grouses, the woman spoke in a calm and collected manner, and responded by saying that not only was the department contacted, other parties were called as well to render assistance.
“We called the Fire and Rescue Department, Civil Defence Force, even Sg Besi (military). We even contacted TV3’s Buletin Utama producer.
“Others helped provide assistance to some 30 of us who were trapped inside a home. Not a single government agency came to our aid.
“Why did the government agencies only come when the waters had already receded? When things were critical and water had already reached the roofs of houses, no government agency came to our aid.
“Except for the Civil Defence Force. I was told that it had only sent three boats throughout Hulu Langat.
“I am certain, Tan Sri, that three boats are insufficient to aid all of Hulu Langat’s residents. This is common sense, right, Tan Sri? Where were our army personnel?” the flood victim asked.
She pointed out that army personnel had stepped in to aid and rescue the affected residents during the 2014 floods even though water levels weren’t as high as in the recent floods.
“The floodwater in 2014 had only reached our thighs, but the army personnel had stepped in to help us.
“However, when things were most critical last Sunday, no agency helped except the Civil Defence Force.
“It came to the point where I had to request help from one of my friends to air it on Twitter. Even when Istana Negara came in to request help on our behalf, no one came to help us.” – The Vibes, December 22, 2021
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