KOTA KINABALU: The first days of Hari Raya were joyful with family gatherings, but on the fourth day, floods struck.
For Bilud Koi, 66, celebrations ended as floodwaters invaded his home in Kampung Pengkalan, Bukit Garam in Sandakan, reaching waist level.
Now, on the seventh day of flooding, Bilud and his extended family are among 31 families sheltering at a temporary evacuation centre (PPS) at SK Bukit Garam.
"This is the third time this year, but we had nowhere else to go," he said at the PPS on Tuesday (April 8).
Originally from Kampung Tulang-Tulang in Ulu Kuamut, Bilud moved here for stability. His children settled in Bukit Garam, and being near Hospital Kinabatangan was crucial for his high blood pressure.
Kuamut is about 50km from Bukit Garam, which is 13km from Kinabatangan Hospital.
"This is all we could afford. I've looked for land on higher ground but found none. We stayed, knowing it floods. What else can we do?" he said.
The settlement, metres from the Kinabatangan River, was declared a flood zone in 2013, marking it unsafe for permanent settlement.
The government relocated original residents to Taman Pelangi, but new families like Bilud's moved into the vacant zone, rebuilding lives amid hidden risks.
On April 2, as water surged, authorities evacuated the village. Bilud and eight families initially refused to leave, sheltering in a rundown balairaya, hoping the water would recede.
They agreed to move to the PPS on the fourth day after authorities intensified evacuation efforts.
Bilud recalled a previous flood when children in the centre went hungry.
"Food came late. Rice was uncooked. I heard children crying from hunger. That's why we hesitated to return," he said.
The PPS has improved since. "This time, Alhamdulillah, food is regular. We're thankful but wish to have spent Raya at home," he said.
At 2pm on Tuesday (April 8), Bilud and 145 others were allowed to return home as floodwaters receded below 10 metres.
The situation rekindles questions about long-term living in danger zones.
Last week, Kinabatangan MP Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin warned against living in flood-prone areas after the government invested in proper housing.
Kinabatangan Civil Defence Force officer Capt Ahmad Roslan Mohd Kamel said the village should have stayed vacant. Some residents rented or sold their Taman Pelangi homes, returning to high-risk zones.
He described repeated evacuations as burdensome for agencies like the Civil Defence Force and Fire and Rescue Department, forced to evacuate the same area repeatedly.
For Bilud and others, the alternative isn't clear.
"I just want somewhere safe," he said, watching his grandchildren play. "I don't want to be here every flood. But for now, this is where we are. We just hold on."
