Aid for victims of flood disaster

RESIDENTS in the flood-hit areas in Yan, Kedah, are deeply touched by the concern shown by Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob who visited them on his first day in office as the Prime Minister.

A few hours after clocking in at Putra Perdana, Ismail Sabri jetted straight to visit the victims in Merbok and Yan to offer his sympathies.

He also presented cash aid to families who lost their loved ones in the tragedy in a simple ceremony held at Masjid Jamek Badlishah in Yan.

A view of the damage at a chalet in Titi Hayun, Yan, Kedah, in the aftermath of the massive floods. – G.C. TAN/The Star

One of the recipients was Nazira Wandari Ridwan, 14, who lost her father Ridwan Poniman, 61, the last and sixth victim whose body was found near Titi Hayun Recreational Centre at about noon on Monday.

“We accept it as fate and I feel relieved that my father’s body has been found.

“We kept praying that he would be safe when we received news about the tragedy,” said the Form Two student of SMK Guar Chempedak II when met at the mosque.

Ridwan was working at Titi Hayun with two other victims Ahmad Din, 64, and Mohamad Faizal Mohd Zohir, 28, when the tragedy struck, killing all three.

Ismail Sabri (in green cap) inspecting the damage to the bridge over Sungai Bujang.

Besides leaving a trail of destruction, the floods on Wednesday were accompanied by a gushing torrent from Gunung Jerai.

A total of 1,140 people were affected by the water column – a sudden surge of a large volume of water falling from an otherwise placid mountain stream – in the Yan and Kuala Muda districts.

Besides the three victims, the other three who died were Ku Shuib Ku Abdullah, 91, Sharuzi Mohamad, 53, and Zainol Morad, 66.

Mohamad Firdaus returned from Batu Pahat, Johor, to attend the funeral rites for his father Zainol.

Another aid recipient Suzanna Ahmad, 34, said she was grateful to the relevant authorities such as the police for working around the clock in the search and rescue operation.

She lost her father Ahmad Din, who was working at a fruit orchard when the tragedy struck.

“He didn’t pick up calls when we called him and that was when we knew something bad had happened,” she said.

She said Ahmad’s body was found by the rescuers, several hours after a police report was lodged over the incident.

Suzana says her father Ahmad was working at a fruit orchard when the tragedy struck.

Mohamad Firdaus Zainol, 36, was grateful to be able to return from Batu Pahat, Johor, to attend his father Zainol’s funeral on time.

“I managed to arrange my father’s funeral and performed the last rites,” said the civil servant.

Noryati Ahmad, 49, said she was saddened by the demise of her son-in-law Mohamad Faizal.

“He was working in a factory in Penang and lived in Sungai Ara before moving back to Gurun early this year.

Noryati, who mourns the death of her son-in-law Mohamad Faizal, says she struggles to think of a way to tell his two sons that they have lost their father.

“It was heartbreaking to see him go away like this.

“I am still trying to think of a way to tell his two sons that they have lost their father,” she said.

Mohamad Faizal leaves behind two sons aged five and one.

It was reported that 24 people who were Covid-19 positive and undergoing quarantine at home had been relocated to two low-risk Covid-19 quarantine and treatment centres due to the floods.

Nazira, who lost her father Ridwan, receiving aid from Ismail Sabri at Masjid Jamek Badlishah in Yan, Kedah.

Kedah Mentri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said the Yan and Kuala Muda districts had been declared Level One disaster areas based on the instructions of the National Security Council due to the seriousness of the floods.

The government, through the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma), had also channelled RM500 to each family affected by the incident.

An immediate aid of RM5,000 was given to the families who lost their loved ones in the incident.