SHAH ALAM – As Hatyai slowly dries out from a massive flood, one Malaysian volunteer found himself dealing with an unexpected mess left by some Malaysian evacuees and it wasn’t from the disaster itself.
In a ten-minute Facebook Live video, the volunteer, identified as Amir, showed streets littered with trash, ranging from food containers to a used diaper, while janitors worked overtime to clean up after those rescued.
“Is this how you repay those who have helped you?” he said, clearly frustrated.
Amir shared that he had repeatedly instructed evacuees to use the bins, but they ignored him. The behaviour left him deeply embarrassed.
“Are you not ashamed? You have been helped and rescued and is this how you repay those who helped you? As a Malaysian, I’m so ashamed,” he added.
Amir stressed that not all Malaysians behaved this way, but the actions of a few had tarnished the image of many.
He also stated that some evacuees weren’t paying attention when he briefed them on the situation.
“I was giving them instructions about the evacuation process, but they sat at the back and chit-chatted with each other,” he said.
To add to the chaos, several rescue boats were reportedly damaged during the operations.
The Hatyai floods, triggered by an intense downpour, have been described as a once-in-300-year disaster.
Yet amid the natural disaster, Amir’s message was simple: don’t turn a rescue site into a rubbish dump.