DUNGUN: Five families in Kampung Cacar Lama, Paka, here, were left homeless after their houses were severely damaged and collapsed due to giant waves and strong winds on Monday evening (Jan 13).
One of the victims, Mohd Zufairie Zuhari, 35, said at the time of the incident, he and his wife, Nora Atika Mohd Mazari, 30, were packing up their belongings to move to a temporary relief centre (PPS) following instructions from the authorities.
"Before we could leave, we were shocked by the deafening noise and tremors. Our two children, aged seven and ten, cried in fear.
"I immediately told my wife to take the children and leave. As soon as we stepped outside, we saw half of the house collapsing before our eyes,” he said when met at the Bandar Paka Village Development and Security Committee (JPKK) Hall here on Tuesday (Jan 14).
Mohd Zufairie, a fisherman, said that despite losing his home, he is grateful that his family managed to escape unharmed.
"It is already hard not being able to go to sea, but the house we live in as a family of four has also been severely damaged.
"I don’t know where we’ll go from here. We might have to stay with other family members or relatives temporarily,” he said.
Meanwhile, another victim, Zakaria Zainal, 45, said he was left with nothing but the clothes on his back after the waves swept away his house.
He said he was packing his belongings to relocate when a massive wave struck and swept his house instantly.
"Thankfully, I managed to get out in time; otherwise, I don’t know what would have happened to me. The waves this year are huge, unlike in previous years,” he said.
In light of the situation, Zakaria hoped the state government would provide immediate assistance to affected residents, as none of them have a steady income and most are fishermen by trade. – Bernama
