Landslide: Last minute cancellations, homestay owners suffer up to 50 per cent losses

BENTONG – Many homestays and campsite owners in Janda Baik suffer up to 50 per cent loses following the landslide in Batang Kali, Selangor on Friday.

Dinda Chalet and Glamping owner Hasnah Abdullah, 36, said the total loss was up to RM3,000 a day.

"Due to the shocking landslide yesterday (Friday), 50 per cent of our customers cancelled their bookings.

"Some asked to postpone the holiday and some also wanted us to prove that this place is safe.

"So, we had to return the payment they had made. Quite sad actually.

"I understand why they do this but Alhamdulillah so far, our place is still okay, meaning there has never been a flood or anything like that," he told Sinar.

Commenting further, she said the loss could not be recovered since the profit could only be made during school holidays and weekends.

"Usually our place will be full on weekends and school holidays to make up for the previous month's losses.

"So when this happens, the loss is quite big because it's usually the year-end holidays when we add more employees to provide the best service," he said.

At the same time, Afsana Villa owner Ahmad Kamal Mohamad said if the previous month they received 60 per cent of bookings, this month only about 30 percent.

Usually, they would get 100 per cent bookings during school holidays season.

He explained that the area had also been flagged when MetMalaysia released weather warnings.

"Actually, this area is fine. It has not rained for three days and there has never been a flood," he said.

When asked about disaster preparedness, he was optimistic that flood would not hit the area as the state government had deepened the river.