BINTULU: Having been surrounded by floodwaters for nearly a month, Malo Longhouse now resembles a small, isolated island due to the ongoing disaster.
Located in Nanga Penyarai, about a two-hour river journey from Tatau town, the longhouse was cut off when the only land route to the nearest town became impassable due to the floods.
Tuai Rumah (village chief) Malo Jaah, 66, described the current flood as the most severe ordeal ever faced by the residents of the 44-door longhouse, which was built in 2000.
He said, although the longhouse area situated near the river had experienced flooding before, the waters usually receded quickly.
“The rain began in mid-January, and it hasn’t stopped since. The waters have yet to subside.
“The destruction of their crops has left the residents unable to earn a living. For now, all we can do is catch fish,” he said.
“This flood is the worst we’ve ever seen; nothing like this has happened before. The flood has affected all areas in the Tatau district, cutting off roads and submerging houses. Fortunately, we built our longhouse a bit higher,” he said.
The floods have severely affected not only the Malo longhouse but also surrounding areas such as SK Nanga Penyarai and the Kakus health clinic.
SK Nanga Penyarai senior assistant Mohd Faishal Ibrahim, who has served at the school for over 20 years, said about 100 people remain in the Nanga Penyarai area.
“Currently, there are five school staff and three clinic staff from Kakus who are here.
“The land road is completely impassable, and to reach Tatau town, we have to use boats.
“However, we are running low on fuel for both the boats and generators, so we have to ration.
“Solar power is not fully operational due to the cloudy weather,” he said, according to Bernama.
On Sunday, Minister in the Sarawak Premier’s Department and Kakus assemblyman Datuk Seri John Sikie Tayai announced that 14 tonnes of food supplies had been delivered to flood victims in the interior of the Tatau district.
Various agencies, coordinated through the Tatau district disaster management committee, carried out the food distribution mission using water and air transport.
The Nanga Penyarai and Nanga Tau areas were among those receiving the food aid.
