IPOH: A father is often seen as a hero in his daughter's eyes, and medical assistant P. Sugumaran, 58, lived up to this role when he waded through dirty floodwaters to rescue his daughter in Taman Arena Kampung Kepayang Putera during a flash flood on Sunday (Dec 2).
Sugumaran rushed to his 32-year-old daughter's aid after receiving a distress call from her.
"The flood started around 10.45am, and once I received the call, I quickly rushed over and arrived by 12pm.
"To my shock, the water was quite high, about 2m, and I tried to figure out how to reach her," he told The Star.
"With limited options, I went straight into the chest-high water to get to her," said Sugumaran, who is also a volunteer fireman.
He reported that his daughter suffered about RM40,000 in damages, with a car, two motorbikes, furniture, and a refrigerator affected.
"They were only able to save important documents and some money," he said.
"The most important thing is that my daughter is unharmed," he added.
Sugumaran expressed concern over the slow receding of floodwaters, which he believed was due to clogged drains.
"The residents had to point out the issue, prompting authorities to clear the blocked drainage by 10pm. The floodwaters subsided around 1am on Monday (Dec 2)," he said.
"I hope the authorities will plan for comprehensive flood management measures to be better prepared," he added.
Meanwhile, jewellery shop owner Datuk Amaluddin Ismail, 63, reported that six of his luxury cars were damaged during the flood.
"There were only minor flooding issues here in the last 28 years.
"This was the worst flood I've ever experienced, and I am really sad because my cars and furniture were badly damaged," he said.
Continuous rainfall since Saturday evening has caused several areas, including Kampung Sri Kinta, Anjung Bercham Utama, Taman Manikavasagam, Taman Desa Impian, and Kampung Tasek, to be inundated.
The Ipoh City Council and several relevant agencies have conducted clean-up works on Sunday (Dec 1).
When met at the relief centre at Dewan Dato Azumu, civil servant Mohd Hanif Marzuki, 40, said he and his wife were among the last to be relocated.
"One of our neighbours has a mentally challenged 30-year-old son.
"We allowed them and those who are unwell to get onto the firemen's rescue boat first," he said.
Car repossessor S. Elavarasan, 30, expressed gratitude that his 62-year-old mother is safe despite the severe flood.
"It was unusual for any of my siblings to stay at home on Sunday, but my elder brother was home during the flood.
"It is unimaginable if she was alone. We also managed to rescue our dog," he said.
"I also managed to save some important documents; however, my car's grant and my parents' wedding certificate have been damaged," he added.
Meanwhile, Ipoh City Watch president Prof Richard Ng urged the city council and relevant authorities to take proactive actions to prevent floods.
"They cannot always blame it (flash flood) on climate change or an 'act of God'.
"Proactive actions to deepen rivers, ensure pumphouses are working, clean monsoon drains, and ensure all rivers are not filled with rubbish should be taken regularly," he said.
"I call on the authorities to develop flood mitigation plans, especially for areas that are often impacted," he added.
As of 2pm on Sunday, there were a total of 612 flash flood evacuees seeking shelter at eight relief centres in the state.
According to the state Disaster Management Committee spokesman, the victims are from Kinta, Kampar, Hilir Perak, and Larut, Matang, and Selama districts.
