Kampung Bukit Palas residents brace for floods almost every year

KUANTAN - Floods have become common for residents of Kampung Bukit Palas, Cherating, here due to their location in a low valley area.

Each time the monsoon season arrived, the residents would worry because they knew the floods could hit at any time.

For residents involved, they had always kept up with the weather developments and immediately stored their properties at a safe location when the continuous rain hits.

Mokhtar Ismail, 66, had his home affect almost every year, with the worst hit being in 2014.

"This time it was bad up to the point where we had to evacuate to the Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Cherating temporary evacuation centre (PPS).

"For me, the floods have become a norm with the difference being if it was small or major," he said when met at the SK Cherating PPS on Wednesday.

Mokhtar said in the previous floods, he was forced to bear the losses when his property failed to be saved.

"Learning from experience, I always prepare earlier whenever the rainy season arrives.

"The problem was that the house would still be prone to floods outside of the monsoon season if we experience a long and heavy downpour," he said.

He claimed the position of his home in a low area, drainage issues and the lack of proper drains in the area were the reasons why floods happen.

"We ask the relevant parties to get involved in this matter and to find a solution to solve the recurring floods, especially the flash floods," he said.

The fate was the same for another village resident Romran Ismail,60.

He said in the recent floods two days ago, there were items in his home that failed to be saved including a washing machine and a refrigerator.

"When I saw the water level in the house reaching almost a metre, my family and I had to immediately move to the PPS even though there were several items we had to leave behind and couldn't be saved.

"The priority was to save ourselves first," he said.

He stated the rampant flood issue became a problem for his family and other residents.

"Whenever a flood occurred, there were surely some items that would be damaged until it had to be repaired or replaced.

"The situation was burdensome, but we have no choice," he said.

Romran said the floods had sometimes stagnated and receded slowly which affected his daily activities.

"The lack of a proper drain causes the water not to flow out quickly, so I hope this matter gains the attention of parties involved immediately," he said.