KLANG: They have lost almost everything in the floodwaters but R. Kumarasan and his wife Philomena are determined to celebrate Christmas as best as they can this year.
“It is a time to be cheerful and we want our three daughters to be happy and enjoy the festival like they did the previous years,’’ said Kumarasan who lives with his family in Taman Sentosa, one of the areas devastated by floods in Klang.
Kumarasan said he had already painted his house and put up the wall decorations and the family’s Christmas tree when the floods hit his neighbourhood.
“Our tree was washed away but our wall decorations have remained because the waters only reached up to our waists,’’ said the lorry driver.
He said his entire family, including his daughters Cardine Ananthi, 13, and Carysh Jeevitha, 9, had spent hours scrubbing and washing their house to prepare for Christmas.
His youngest daughter Carina Bhavika is two years old.
To rekindle the Christmas spirit, Kumarasan borrowed a tree from his neighbour who was going to spend Christmas with relatives in another state as they too had lost everything in the floods.
Kumarasan added that all their clothes, including the new attire he had bought for his family for Christmas, had been soaking in floodwaters for two days.
“Life goes on as it is not the end of the world and we have moved on and plan to have an enjoyable Christmas,’’ he said.
Kumarasan said the family would be going to Philomena’s aunt’s house in Bukit Rimau after Christmas service since they are still unable to do any cooking at home as most of their pots, pans and utensils have all been washed away.
“Our refrigerator is also not working after the flooding, so we can’t store any foodstuff for cooking and so we will spend the entire Christmas day at the aunt’s place,’’ said Kumarasan.
Meanwhile, R. Mathevan, 54, and his family of four from Taman Sri Muda in Shah Alam will go on a fun-filled outing on Christmas day.
“We lost everything in the floods and our neighbourhood is still covered in sludge, so we decided to have a day out,’’ said Mathevan.
Mathevan added he, his wife Deborah as well as daughters Yamitra, 19, and Kashmeera, 13, will give church a miss this year and pray at home before starting out on their fun outing.
Meanwhile, it was a small Christmas miracle for Mercy Vincent when she found out that the room where her children’s musical instruments were stored had been undamaged by the flood.
The 47-year-old former pre-school teacher said she was sad that Christmas this year would be different for her and her evangelist husband and their four children, aged between 10 and 24, due to the impact of the floods in the Taman Sri Muda area, where they live.
She added that she had made early preparations for the Christmas celebration including putting a Christmas tree, buying gifts for her family and church members and even some cookies but unfortunately, the flood submerged her house.
“My children are all music players and have their own band.
“I am so grateful for that and that is our little Christmas miracle,” she said, when contacted yesterday.
She was among hundreds of flood victims who are staying at the temporary flood relief centre in Taman Sri Muda, in Shah Alam, Selangor.
Taman Sri Muda was the worst hit area in Selangor with floodwaters rising as high as the roofs of single-storey houses and entering right up to the staircases of double-storey homes.
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