As floods recede, victims begin rebuilding homes

GEORGE TOWN: The devastating floods have receded in Penang with the last flood relief centre officially closing on Saturday.
At its height some 9,000 people sought refuge in 42 centres.
Now comes the difficult part – the rebuilding of homes and offices as well as public amenities destroyed by the flood waters.
Former Pulau Jerejak assemblyman Wong Mun Hoe estimates the total losses incurred by the flooding to be close to RM300 million, as the damages were widespread and in some cases, permanent.
On the island, residents in Taman Seri Setia and their neighbours in Tanjung Bungah gathered to express their concern about the ability of the drainage system and the soil to divert and absorb flood waters during future rain storms.
Taman Seri Setia,which witnessed 30 of their medium cost apartment units inundated last week, is 150 metres away from the landslide site which killed 11 construction workers less than three weeks ago.
Its management corporation chairperson Wong Fook Kong amassed over 100 signatures in less than 60 minutes during the event, signalling that the tenants there are getting worried about the nature of floods.
"I think the flood waters exceeded five feet. And recently, a short raining spell saw waters rise to ankle high. We are worried as our security and safety is no longer guaranteed," Wong said.
Many of the tenants suffered huge losses when the floods damaged their homes, vehicles and household appliances, he claimed, adding that there was no offer of compensation to those affected by it.
He will be submitting a petition to the state and the Tanjung Bungah assemblyperson Teh Yee Cheu about their plight soon.
The Tanjung Bungah Residents Association (TBRA) has also detected a surge of support from their fellow residents, who were worried about the spate of landslides and flooding in their locality.
Association's deputy chairperson Agnes James said in a statement via "WhatApp" that TBRA hopes to work closely with the state government so that they can have clear guidelines to support both quality development and sound preservation to sustain the locality's unique character.
Tanjung Bungah used to be the home of former Royal Australian Air Force personnel before it became one of the top expatriate habitats in the country.