Loved ones cut off by floodwaters

Phone contact: Komathy talking to her brother N. Satha Sivam, 37, via a video call. In the background is the submerged road connecting Yong Peng and Chaah. — THOMAS YONG/The Star

YONG PENG: With many roads in Johor submerged, families are finding themselves separated by bodies of water from their loved ones.

Canteen operator N. Komathy, 41, who lives in Yong Peng, has been unable to visit her brother in Chaah after access between the two areas was cut off by floodwaters.

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“Chaah was badly hit by floods on Wednesday, with water rising very rapidly.

“My husband borrowed a lorry from a friend and we rushed to pick up my brother, his wife and two children as well as my mother before the road was cut off.

“When water in Chaah started to recede the next day, my brother decided to make his way back with his family so that they could start cleaning their house.

“Unfortunately, the water level rose again and now they are stuck there,” she said in an interview.

Komathy is now trying to find ways to bring her brother and his family back to Yong Peng.

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“My brother told me that it’s difficult to find food there as all the shops are closed. I am worried about them, especially my niece and nephew who are only two and 11.

“Thankfully, my mother is still with us in Yong Peng. I will try to borrow the lorry again so that we can bring them here. I also wanted to bring some food for his neighbours as they all don’t have enough food,” she added.

Farmer Mohd Fahizan Ramlan, 44, (pic) was separated from his 13-year-old daughter for two days after she could not return home from a religious school in Kampung Jawa in Segamat.

“My daughter had an exam on Wednesday and was supposed to come home around noon.

“Unfortunately, by then, the road between my house in Kampung Padang Lalang, Segamat, and the school was already cut off by the floods,” he said.

Luckily for Mohd Fahizan, a relative was able to pick his daughter up from school.

“Thankfully, the school is not far from my relative’s house and she stayed there for two days. I brought her home on Friday after the road cleared,” he added.

Mohd Fahizan’s house was almost submerged when the water level rose to the ceiling on Wednesday.

“We have another house about 1.5km away. We relocated to the second house a day before it flooded as we expected it. We have been hit by floods numerous times and already know the drill.

“However, this is still one of the worst floods we have ever seen. In fact, it’s as bad as in 2006,” he added.