Forced to put up in hotels

Rozilan and his family returned to clean their house in TTDI Jaya but will continue staying at the homestay until power is restored at their home.

MANY people were unable to return to their homes on Saturday as roads became inaccessible following major floods in the Klang Valley.

Some who were stranded at their workplaces or caught in a traffic snarl had no choice but to spend the night at nearby hotels.

Ten employees of a sports store in Petaling Jaya checked into a nearby hotel because roads leading to their homes were blocked due to the floods.

One of them, sports advisor Raja Azmeen Raja Annuar Jonaidee, 25, said his company booked rooms at a hotel that was within walking distance from the store.

“We are very thankful for the arrangement as we would have had great difficulty getting home on Saturday after closing time.

“Seven of us went to work the next day while three others returned home as the road conditions had improved,” he said.

SC Ooi from Shah Alam had to check into a hotel near Section 26 after being stuck in the area from about 3pm on Saturday as water levels were rising.

“All the roads leading out of the area were flooded, including Persiaran Kuala Selangor.

“I was stuck and decided to check into a hotel nearby at 7pm.

“There were four people on the waiting list ahead of me,” said Ooi.

She finally got a room at 8.30pm and by that time, about 10 others were on the waiting list.

“This (Sunday) morning, the road to Subang Jaya was passable, but I couldn’t get home to Kota Kemu-ning because part of the Shah Alam Expressway was closed to cars.

“Only four-wheel-drives and other big vehicles were allowed through.

“So, I have to stay with my niece in Subang Jaya tonight,” she said.

Ooi added that some of the hotel’s guests also included holidaymakers from outstation who had to extend their stay as they could not return home.

Meanwhile, Datuk Rozilan Salleh from TTDI Jaya, Shah Alam checked into a homestay in Bukit Jelutong while on his way back home after learning that his house was flooded.

“I was in Jerantut, Pahang, on Saturday when my wife called to say that water had entered our house and there was no power.

“So, I checked into a homestay and got my wife and four children to join me.

“We spent the night there and went home to clean the house today (Sunday). The power supply has yet to be restored so we will be spending another night at the homestay,” he said.

Malaysia Budget Hotel Association (Selangor chapter) chairman Ng Hong Keat said hotels in Puchong, Kota Damansara, Seri Kembangan, Bandar Sunway and Kelana Jaya had reported an increased occupancy rate on Saturday.

He, however, could not confirm that this was due to guests not being able to return home because of the floods.

“Hotels along the Damansara-Puchong Highway said the number of guests had increased.

“However, hotels do not usually ask guests the purpose of their stay.

“So, we cannot definitively say that those people were stranded because of the floods,” he said.