KLANG – Hanafiah Abu Bakar is among the lucky few who was not affected by the floods in Klang but the 56-year-old retiree and six others mobilised themselves to help provide food aid to flood victims in the district.
Johor-born Hanafiah has been residing in Klang for the past three decades, working in Port Klang before calling it a day.
Last Sunday, he put his leisurely lifestyle on hold after seeing the devastation the floods inflicted on Klang.
“I felt the urge to help the victims because the situation was getting dire. We have experienced several floods before but not as massive as this and the thought of people starving did not sit well with me,” he told The Vibes.
Hanafiah and six others went around in four-wheel-drive vehicles distributing food to victims.
“We managed to distribute approximately 1,000 packets of cooked food to the victims directly as we wanted to check on their condition as well.”
He said he was shocked to see many victims starving while waiting for help and that they were cut-off due to network failure and submerged roads.
“We (my friends and I) did not have a specific location to render immediate assistance. However, I can never forget seeing Sri Muda victims wandering the highway aimlessly.
“As we approached them to ask what they needed, their answer was food. That truly broke my heart.”
Although he did not have much to provide full-fledged assistance, he and his friends looked for ways to render help.
Soon, his mobile number was circulated on social media.
“Several people called me wanting to donate dry rations for us to cook, while someone wanted to donate 200 packs of bubur lambuk.”
On criticism over the government’s disaster response, he said it is better to take initiative to help each other.
“Look at how beautiful our people are. Regardless of our race, we are helping each other and that is the spirit we must always inculcate in our hearts.” – The Vibes, December 23, 2021
