KOTA TINGGI: A mother pregnant 37 weeks found relief to find shelter at a temporary relief centre (PPS) after her house in Taman Aman here was flooded since last Thursday.
With about a week to go before giving birth to her fourth child, Maisarah Abd Yahal, 35, is now seeking refuge at the PPS of the Sekolah Rendah Agama Bersepadu (SRAB) Kota Tinggi hall with her husband, Mohd Azizi Ahmad, 33, and three children aged 13 to eight, as well as her mother, Musalmah Sabran, 60.
According to her, the family had to move to the PPS after the water rose on Thursday morning due to concerns about the safety of the baby in her womb.
Working as a clerk at Sultan Ismail Hospital (HSI) in Johor Bahru, she recalled that previous experiences with floods had made her and her family prepared to face any eventuality.
“Heavy rain since Wednesday night made us feel uneasy as a family. In the morning, before I was about to go to work, I saw that the water had risen, and we were asked to move to the PPS.
“Fortunately, baby items and delivery necessities had already been placed in the car. Alhamdulillah, the process of moving to the PPS was easy even though it was raining at that time,“ she told reporters here today.
She added that despite the fatigue of going through the ordeal of relocating due to floods almost four times since moving to Taman Aman five years ago, she remains resilient in facing the test.
“This is the first time I have moved to a PPS while being heavily pregnant. I never expected that during my fourth pregnancy, I would have to move to a PPS because of a flood.
“Thank God everything is safe, and many people have helped me at the PPS, including those from the health clinic. Food and the needs of the children are all well taken care of by the staff here,“ she said.
Meanwhile, senior citizen K. Madavi said that despite the annual floods hitting her house, the feeling of worry persists because she has been living alone since her husband’s death 13 years ago.
However, her previous flood experiences prompted her, who has lived in Taman Aman for almost 30 years, to prepare her belongings and important documents well in advance.
“Every year, there is flooding, and even though I’m accustomed to this situation, I still feel afraid because I live alone, and I am already old. Fortunately, I have children, grandchildren, and neighbours who help me.
“During the heavy rain, I couldn’t sleep because I was constantly worried that the water in the drain would fill up, and I was afraid it would enter the house. When the water surpassed knee level, all neighbours, including me, went out and moved to this PPS.
“I am grateful that this flood was not as severe as in previous years, and I hope the weather will remain good so that we can return home soon,“ said the mother of four.
As of 2 pm today, the number of flood victims in Johor is 1,192 people in 12 PPS, in Kota Tinggi, Mersing, Johor Bahru, and Kluang. – Bernama
