Residents in Pasir Mas district, Kelantan affected by the floods wait for help, December 29, 2014. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa
KOTA BARU, Jan 24 ― Kelantan folk are back to rebuilding their lives after the recent devastating floods.
Most have accepted their fate and are ready to move on.
But they have one big question which remains unanswered: how did the massive flooding occur?
They are dumbfounded that water levels rose so high, by up to 30 metres in some places.
Supermarkets, petrol kiosks and other trade establishments went out of business overnight, while families lost their homes in the blink of an eye.
Everyone had been caught napping. Well, not really.
The truth is, no one had expected the floods to cause such extensive destruction.
After all, floods have been an annual affair for so long that the Kelantanese have accepted it as part of life.
During a recent trip to several remote villages in the state a few days ago, the aid group I was with was posed this question by several villagers.
At Kg Pasir Linggi, an orang asli village about 60km from Kuala Krai, the tok batin (village head) said it was something he had never experienced.
“The village is already on higher land with Sungai Lalang 20 metres below,” he said.
“At the height of the floods a month ago, the flood water rose so fast within five hours that two levels of the school and teachers' quarters were badly damaged.
“We could all have drowned if we had not been alert and moved to higher ground in time.
“Yes, it rained heavily. But how could it be so severe that such a small river burst its bank to almost engulf an entire village on higher ground? Where did the water come from?”
Kg Pasir Linggi has 74 orang asli families, of which 48 families comprising 300 people were affected by the floods.
Another villager, known only as Ahmad, had this to say: “We have been through flooding episodes in the past but it was nothing like this.
“Life went on because we knew what to expect and the damage was never this severe.
“What happened this time is unprecedented. Fortunately, no lives were lost here.”
He claimed water from dams had been released accidentally, resulting in a vast amount gushing into Kelantan and Terengganu.
“What do you think? Isn’t it so?” he asked me.
I was non-committal in my reply because I am no flood expert.
I was just there to help with charity groups We Love We Care We Share, Reach Out Klang, iCareBearz, Buaya Puchong Red Crescent Community Service group Region of Love and We Love Kids.
“It is very hard to say,” was all I could tell him, and that was the truth.
There has been much talk about why the floods were the worst in decades.
Some place the blame squarely on the incessant rain, while others like Ahmad believe it was water released from the dams.
There are those who say the floods would not have been this bad if not for deforestation.
Then there are those who conveniently blame the Supreme One by saying it was an act of God. Perhaps it is a combination of everything.
It was the same when we went to Kg Sungai Kuala, a remote village that could be reached via a bumpy 25km 90-minute drive though rubber and oil palm estates.
The 50 families comprising 400 people here are having it bad.
They have not received much aid and the water supply had yet to resume.
The river at one end of the village was fast flowing but the water level was down to normal levels.
A glance at the hillside across the river shows how high flood waters have risen.
My estimate is about 25 metres, given the muddy trail left on the damaged trees.
The village mosque, which now doubles up as the aid collection centre, was not spared.
Water rose up to the dome at one stage.
The villagers who took us around had the same lament.
“We are bewildered how our village was so badly hit,” one villager said.
“There was just so much water. Did it rally rain that much?”
Charity group leader Ivan Zuzartee said he was shocked at the extent of damage caused by the floods.
“What we see on Facebook and in the newspapers are two-dimensional,” he said.
“We have to witness it for ourselves to really fathom the extent of the devastation.”
He said the authorities had to get to the root of the problem because they had a duty to not only get the people back on their feet but also explain what actually went wrong.
With the mission completed, the aid team left for home, satisfied that it was a job well done.
As we journeyed back to the Klang Valley, the question that bugged me was where did the water come from? I am as puzzled as the villagers I met.
Anyone, please?
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