Volunteer heroes shine during floods

Volunteers transporting the basic necessities to the flood relief centre in Kuala Berang, Terengganu. -Bernamapic

KUALA BERANG: Driven by empathy towards flood victims in Ajil, Terengganu, a group of volunteers called Ajil Silaturahim has joined forces to evacuate those affected to flood relief centres.

Thirty locals who are members of the volunteer club also use their vehicles to transport workers of Hospital Kuala Berang to and from work and members of the public to get treatment at the hospital amid strong currents.

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“If we don’t help them, perhaps the workers could not get to work, and patients could not get the necessary treatment. (We do this) all for humanity,” the club’s deputy president Sahnun Hamad told Bernama yesterday.

Throughout the flood season, the members mobilise their machinery using their own money to purchase fuel, he added.

Sahnun said Ajil Silaturahim, formed about a decade ago, has 50 heavy equipment vehicles owned by club members, including backhoes, lorries, fibre boats, excavators and four-wheel-drive vehicles through their jobs as contractors, lorry drivers or through their hobbies such as fishing.

According to him, since the third wave of floods hit Ajil, the members have been carrying out operations to transport hospital workers every day from 7am to 7pm.

“We will help clean flood victims’ homes after the floodwaters recede, including removing rubbish, and so on.

“For the time being, we will focus on Ajil and Terengganu. When our work is done here, we will move on to other states such as Kelantan and Pahang as we have done in previous years,” he said, adding that some of the members are also affected by the floods.