KUALA BERANG: Having experienced floods almost every north-east monsoon season, a homemaker in Kampung Paya Besar here keeps almost all her belongings and furniture on the upper floor of her house throughout the year.
Musfirah Sidik, 37, said only a few items, including wooden chairs for guests and a cooking stove, are kept downstairs for use during the dry season, while other belongings such as beds and wardrobes remain upstairs.
“I have lived in this house since I got married in 2013. We experience floods every year and I grew tired of having to move our belongings repeatedly, so my husband and I decided to keep everything upstairs permanently,” she said, Bernama reported.
Meanwhile, Sasuhaida Sulaiman, 42, from Kampung Laut near Kuala Terengganu, said her experience of dealing with annual floods has prompted her and her husband to prepare bags containing clothes and important documents in advance to facilitate evacuation if water levels rise suddenly.
The mother of three children, aged between 12 and 19, said her family has to move to a temporary relief centre every year because their house is located in a low-lying area near a swamp.
Another resident, Mohd Norzilan Ismail, 50, of Taman Desa Tanjung Damai near Gong Badak in Kuala Nerus, said he has rented a four-wheel-drive vehicle to move electrical appliances and furniture to safety in anticipation of flooding.
“If the rain continues for another 24 hours, I will move my belongings to a safe place,” he said.
