Flood survivor ate one meal of rice a day for five days

KUALA TERENGGANU: Medical supplies salesman CW Chan, 25, had to survive on one meal of rice a day after he was stranded in Kuala Kerai, Kelantan, for five days due to the the unprecedented floods afflicting the east coast.
He told theSun he was forced to seek shelter at Kampung Sungai Sam there after noticing the waters rising rapidly while on his way to Tumpat from making a sales call in Gua Musang last Monday.
In recalling his ordeal, Chan said a coffee shop and sundry outlet had provided him and others in the same boat food for the first few days but supply was quickly depleted.
He said they had to resort to collecting rain water to cook as potable water had already run out by the fourth day he was there.
He said he slept in his car at night and charged his phone using his car charger as there was no electricity in the area.
"It was really difficult, I just wanted to go home," he told theSun when contacted today.
Chan said he decided to leave on the fifth day after an NGO arrived with aid which he took to mean certain roads were now passable and no longer underwater.
He said he decided to go to Terengganu where his mother was and left the area about 8am but the journey which normally takes about three hours now took him some 17 hours.
He said this was because he was forced to detour to Temerloh, Pahang, before making his way up to Terengganu as roads were closed.
He said he was fortunate to have met a driver of a tour bus who allowed him to follow the vehicle closely behind.
"The wake of the bus helped clear some of the water on the road so I could pass using my car," he said adding that the first thing he did upon arriving was to have a huge meal before sleeping.
Also in GEORGE TOWN, the Penang Chinese Chambers of Commerce (PCCC) donated RM200,000 to the Buddhist Tzu-Chi Merits Society Malaysia (Tzu Chi) for flood relief works.
PCCC chairman Datuk Seri Choot Ewe Seng handed over the cheque to Tzu Chi public relations officer Khoo Boo Leong today.
Choot said the Chambers sympathise with the plight of the flood victims and wanted to do their part in assisting them.
"How the money is used is up to the society," he said while Khoo added all donations will go to procure aid as logistics and travelling costs was borne by the society's volunteers.