Jakoa: Over 1,000 orang asli stranded by floods in Mersing since Sunday (Jan 2)

MERSING: Over 1,000 Orang Asli residents in five villages here have been stranded by floods since Sunday (Jan 2), according to the Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa).

Mersing Jakoa officer Nor Faizzi Sulaiman said the land routes to Kampung Peta, Kampung Punan and Kampung Tewowoh had been cut off by floodwaters up to 1.5-metre high while the land routes to Kampung Orang Asli Tanah Abang and Kampung Orang Asli Tanjung Tuan had been under 0.3 metres of floodwaters since Tuesday (Jan 4).

However, he said villagers had food supplies, provided by the Mersing Social Welfare Department, to last a week.

"For now, communication between the Jakoa and village representatives via WhatsApp is being carried out daily, three times a day.

"Village headmen or representatives involved will make reports and send photographs of the current status of conditions in their villages.

"If the villagers require supplies or have health emergencies, we will request for help from agencies such as the Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) and Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM),” he told Bernama, here, on Wednesday (Jan 5).

Meanwhile, Endau assemblyman Alwiyah Talib said her team would continue to monitor the flood situation, including in risky locations.

"We hope the situation will improve and return to normal soon. However, we are thankful that we managed to despatch basic necessities to them (villagers) before the flood disaster struck.

"Rescue teams such as those from JBPM, APM, ATM, and Disaster Operations Control Centre have also been mobilised to help rescue and evacuate affected residents," she added. - Bernama