Flood destroys footbridge of pleasant memories

By Kamaliza Kamaruddin

KUALA TERENGGANU, Feb 28 -- A swollen Terengganu River washed away a wooden footbridge linking two kampungs late yesterday, robbing the villagers and visitors of a place where they have enjoyed pleasant memories over the past 30 years.

“When my children informed me that the bridge was no more, I was shocked and saddened,” said villager Wan Ramlah Wan Sharif, 61.

She is from Kampung Pulau Sekati. The bridge, built in 1992, had linked her village to Kampung Paloh across the wide Terengganu River.

The bridge, which had served pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, could not withstand the onslaught of the flood that struck Terengganu four days ago.

Wan Ramlah told Bernama today the bridge was more than just a link between the two villages. It was often the focal point of the villagers as well as tourists.

“Many tourists who came to Kuala Terengganu used to visit the bridge to admire its unique structure. It had augmented the traditional setting of the village, giving an atmosphere of the 1970s,” she said.

Wan Ramlah said a concrete bridge was built in 2017 not far away but the villagers preferred to use the wooden one as they had grown fond of it.

She said floods had damaged the bridge in the past but it was always repaired. This time, the floodwaters were just too strong, she lamented.

She hoped that the authorities would rebuild the wooden footbridge.

Entrepreneur Wan Farhana Wan Tazilah, 33, said she felt the loss of the bridge as it had served as one of her favourite locations to shoot photos of all her Terengganu batik collections.

“The bridge was a silent witness of my growing up. Believe me, anyone who has come here will miss the pleasant memories associated with that beloved bridge of the people of Terengganu.

“Being on the bridge makes one feel calm due to the beauty of the surrounding nature despite the location being in the middle of the city,” she said.

As soon as news of the bridge being washed away spread, social media was flooded with all kinds of photos and videos of people who had visited the bridge, especially on special days such as their weddings and festivals.      

The atmosphere following the destruction of the bridge was also shared live on the official Facebook account of Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar today and received many reactions from netizens saddened by the incident.

Also saddened are the children who used to cycle on the wooden bridge to Sekolah Kebangsaan Paloh across the river. Now they have to use the concrete bridge, which takes them an additional 15 to 20 minutes to get to the school instead of five minutes.

-- BERNAMA