‘We will be here for the folks in Bentong’

Getting the job done: Wong (left) helping to clear up debris left by the heavy floods that hit Bentong last weekend.

BENTONG: A week has passed since torrential rains hit unceasingly at some villages here but the distressing time faced by flood victims remains etched in their minds.

“We had been anxiously monitoring the water levels of the three rivers here. Around 11pm on Saturday, the sirens started blaring, warning all that water levels were at very dangerous levels.

“A mere 20 minutes later, the water started gushing out from the rivers. Village chiefs rushed from door to door, asking people to evacuate their homes,” said MCA publicity bureau deputy chief Wong Siew Mun.

The situation became frantic once water overflowed from the nearby rivers, she added.

Wong, who had been on the ground in Kampung Baru Repas here, recounted how things got perilous very quickly.

She spoke of a mother’s plea for help.

“Around midnight when I was doing a Facebook live video, a villager sent me a comment, desperately seeking help to get her two children out from her house.

“My team and I rushed there. The water level was already reaching my knees.

“It felt like forever getting there because we had to fight strong currents. Thankfully, we managed to reach the two kids and three adults trapped in the house. We got them to a safe area,” she said.

The situation eased up after 6am on Sunday, but many worried eyes kept glued to the three rivers, including Sg Perdak, which were still overflowing.

“We sought assistance from government agencies such as the Civil Defence Force because the floodwaters in some areas were just too strong for us to wade through.

“The scary days were Saturday and Sunday because the water level was high,” she said.

Initially, she said, some villagers were reluctant to evacuate.

“Many assumed the water levels would only go up to the knees,” said Wong.

Until Sunday morning, the focus was on evacuation operation.

“For the days after that, the folks in every area in Bentong were kept busy cleaning up their badly damaged houses. Many items were either broken or caked in thick layers of mud.

“Aid is being distributed to victims while the MCA’s Crisis Relief Squad (CRSM) is helping with the difficult post-flood clean-up.

“We will continue to do what we can for the affected villagers.

“We will be here for them,” said Wong.