Orang Asli Family Among Earliest To Evacuate To Relief Centre In Mersing

MERSING, Dec 19 (Bernama) -- An Orang Asli family is often among the earliest to evacuate whenever floods hit Kampung Orang Asli Labong here, as their house is located in a low-lying area.

Resident Herman Awang, 48, said early preparations are usually made during the monsoon season, but the latest flood was unexpected due to continuous spillover rain from neighbouring Pahang that caused water levels to rise rapidly.

The father of four said two days of heavy rain resulted in floodwaters entering his home at about 11 pm last Tuesday, forcing the family to quickly secure essential belongings before evacuating.

Herman said the situation was more challenging as his second child had just given birth and his grandson, aged one month and two days, had to be evacuated immediately.

He said water levels continued rising early Wednesday morning, prompting him to first take his grandson to a safer location before the family moved to the temporary relief centre (PPS) at Sekolah Kebangsaan Labong.

Besides property damage, Herman said the family was also concerned about their safety due to the presence of venomous animals during floods, although saving lives remained the top priority.

Another flood victim, Munah Harun, 64, said rising waters early Wednesday gave her time to help her child move belongings to higher ground before conditions worsened.

She said this was the third time she had experienced flooding at her child’s home, with the worst incident occurring in 2023 when water levels rose to roof level and destroyed most household items.

Meanwhile, Simah Tiwan, 48, said she evacuated with her family after floodwaters inundated their home, with the safety of her 74-year-old mother who uses a walking aid being her main concern.

As of 2 pm today, the number of flood victims in Johor remained at 356 people from 93 families, all of whom are housed at three PPS in the Mersing district.

-- BERNAMA