BATU PAHAT: It was as if a lake appeared overnight. That was three inundated villages in this district looked like after flooding began on Saturday.
Checks by Bernama with the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) on boats revealed that the villages of Kampung Sengkuang, Sri Bengkal and Parit Yaani were still submerged in around one to two metres of water even after two days of hot weather, with some vehicles scattered about, seemingly afloat.
The journey began at Kampung Sengkuang, Batu Pahat using four-wheel-drive vehicles, but then boats were used in Kampung Sri Bengkal to Parit Yaani here, where floodwaters could still rise even with the hot weather yesterday.
The one-kilometre journey to reach Parit Yaani from Kampunt Sri Bengkal took almost an hour as there were some shallow areas that did not allow for the use of the boats’ motors. So, occupants were left with no choice other than to row towards higher ground.
The villages were flooded by overflow from the nearby river and Sembrong Dam, as they made their way to the sea.
Parit Yaani resident, Muhammad Haslam Ismawan, 24, said the area had been flooded since the last three days and water levels kept rising and did not recede even in clear weather.
The situation would usually last for another three days, if it did not rain.
“It’s usual for people here but the worst happened after the big flood of 2006....the water will go down in a week, depending on the weather,” he told Bernama as he braved the floodwaters to get home to retrieve some belongings after seeking shelter at the Sri Bengkal relief centre three days ago.
Johor police chief Datuk Kamarul Zaman Mamat, who also came along with Bernama for the check, found that there were some residents who did not want to evacuate as they were worried about their belongings being stolen, with some claiming they had ‘something’ to settle.
Kamarul Zaman said such actions could have dire consequences as water levels were still rising.
One male resident who chose not to evacuate said that he and his family members chose not to as they wanted to salvage their belongings and guard their home.
“Other family members are already at the relief centre and if the water level is high, we will reach out for assistance,” the man, who was living in the upper level of his flooded double-storey house, said.
As of 4 pm, there are 39,477 flood evacuees in eight districts in Johor, with Batu Pahat being the most affected with 25,690 evacuees. -Bernama
