Floods: Retiree recalls being stuck on top floor of house, laments lack of rescue efforts, coordination

PETALING JAYA: Stuck on the first floor of their home in Section 23, Shah Alam, retiree Stellus Fernandez and his family were waving a white flag and calling out for help last Sunday (Dec 19), but to no avail.

“There were a few people with boats moving around but they didn’t come to get us. They saw us but they didn’t come and rescue us. We didn’t know what was going on as we had absolutely no information about the flood situation or relief efforts except from what we read from social media. And with electricity cut off, our phones were also dying.

“Why were there no directions or instructions given to us?

“The authorities could have told us what to do or what was going on via a hailer or loudspeaker at least,” he added.

Fernandez, his wife and two children were stranded on the top storey of their home for close to two days, with just some nuts and instant noodles to eat that they managed to salvage from their kitchen before the waters rose to dangerous levels.

“In the first place, we should have been given a warning a week before (of the torrential rains). In many countries, the affected areas are informed well ahead of time. It would have given everyone a chance to evacuate and save their belongings.

“We only received the red alert from the Met Department on Sunday evening... after the disaster. Isn’t that a bit too late?” says Fernandez, 62.

The poor response by the government in handling the flood has been echoed by many who were affected by the floods last weekend.

For Fernandez and the other families stranded in the floods last weekend, the volunteer rescuers, comprising concerned Malaysians and some NGOs, offered some relief.

But there was an obvious need for coordination of rescue operations, he said.

“There was no coordination, no guidance and no help. Where was the army, the marines or the civil defence people? We depended on the government but they didn’t give us any directions at all. You can’t leave a rescue effort like this up to volunteers alone,” he said.

Eventually, the family managed to hire a boat to come and rescue them from their house.

“We are safe now in my son’s house, and we haven’t been able to go back yet to see our house,” he said.