'I did not know whether we could make it out alive’, JKM officer shares experience being stuck in flood waters

BATU PAHAT - An officer and two personnel of the Batu Pahat Social Welfare Department (JKM) faced an anxious moment when the four-wheel drive vehicle they were on was stuck for more than an hour in flood waters.

The incident happened when they were on their way to deliver flood aids to a temporary evacuation centre (PPS) at Parit Haji Kamisan in Yong Peng near here today.

The department’s Batu Pahat officer Siti Nadiah Mardi, 36, said it happened at noon while she and her colleague Herlinda Abd Majid, 42, as well as a 46-year old driver were heading to the PPS.

"The water rose quickly and the current got stronger as we were passing through the road to the PPS. Then our vehicle got stuck in the palm oil plantation area.

"Initially, the water only rose to a moderate level but then it reached a dangerous level of over one-metre high.

“In the end, the Ford Everest vehicle we were on had drifted to the side," she said when contacted today.

She said they were forced to climb on to the car’s bonnet as the water kept on rising and eventually they had to sit on the vehicle's roof.

She said they were stuck in the situation for more than an hour and that they were ready to climb the trees if the water continued to rise.

"I didn't know if I would make it out alive or not as the water had reached the roof of the car and we were already prepared to cling on to the palm trees.

“However, before the situation got worse, we managed to contact various agencies and friends for help," she said.

Siti Nadiah said they finally heard the sound of a boat after an hour of being trapped and they all shouted for help while waving their hands towards the boat.

"Only God knows how we felt at that time. Alhamdulillah the boat came towards us and it was understood that they received information and came to save us," she said.

She said items they brought including food, drinks and registration forms were damaged inside the vehicle.

"But we are grateful to have survived without any injuries. This is our first time experiencing this and we will never forget it and it will serve as a reminder to be extra careful in the future.

“We are grateful to our family, friends and colleagues who prayed for our safety.

"Usually we helped the victims, but this time we had first-hand experience of this traumatic moment when our four-wheel drive vehicle almost sank," she said.