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Perak residents recount worst flooding in years

PERAK — The flooding that hit Lintang and Lasah in Sungai Siput was the worst in decades, according to local residents.

Twitter screen grab of the Malaysia flood. (Photo: Malaysia Official Man Utd Fan Club/Twitter)

Twitter screen grab of the Malaysia flood. (Photo: Malaysia Official Man Utd Fan Club/Twitter)

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PERAK — The flooding that hit Lintang and Lasah in Sungai Siput was the worst in decades, according to local residents.

Many recounted tales of devastation, describing how rapidly rising waters engulfed their homes up to rooftop level, as water from Sungai Perak and its tributaries inundated four areas state-wide.

Abu Bakar Musa, 91, who was met at a relocation centre in SK Lasah yesterday (Dec 24), said this was the worst flooding to hit the area in recent history.

“I remember that there were similarly strong floods in the 1920s and 1930s, but since then there has been nothing as bad as yesterday.”

Abu Bakar has lived in Kampung Lintang since he was eight and said the flood waters from nearby Sungai Pelus began entering his house at about 7am on Tuesday.

“At first it was only up to my ankles. I thought it was a normal flash flood, which happens regularly around here,” he said. “By evening, the water was up to my neck. My son and I then decided to get out of the house.”

As the waters rose around them, his son Zamiri Abu Bakar, 45, said he was forced to carry his father to the waiting firemen.

“We waded through the water, trying to keep our heads up. We knew we had to get out before it engulfed us completely.

“Thank God it was only a relatively short walk to the rescue vehicles.”

Zamiri said they arrived at the relocation centre less than an hour later, where they spent the night.

“We found out later that the water had reached the roof of our house.

“All we could save were some clothes and vital documents. Everything else is gone.”

Rokiah Jaafar, 59, said she was at home with her husband Sazali Ariffin, 57, and son Mohd Salman when their house was swamped, in nearby Kampung Pondok.

“It started to get bad at about 3pm when the water was at waist level. By 3.45pm, the water was chest deep.”

Rokiah said she was forced to wade through the flood waters for about 500m to get to the nearest relocation centre at the Datuk Haji Fadhil community hall.

“There was no one to help me. My husband and son were busy trying to save our belongings,” she said.

“They yelled at me to get out while I still could. I haven’t been back to my house since. God only knows what is left.”

Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir said 899 people from 105 families had been evacuated to six relocation centres in Sungai Siput.

More evacuees are expected as flood waters continue to rise. MALAY MAIL ONLINE

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