Protecting what’s precious to us

I USED to think my house was safe from floods. And actually, I still do. After all, it is a good two metres higher than the road which slopes gently towards a big drain across from my property.

But then, many Penangites probably thought their homes were safe too. They never expected typhoon-like winds and heavy rain that lasted 15 hours and floods that rose three to four metres, affecting even places like Kek Lok Si Temple, situated on high ground.