Flood Relief Project
Tropical Depression made landfall on 16 Dec 2021, bringing torrential rains throughout Peninsula Malaysia over 3 days. Floods affected 8 states and over 125,000 people were affected with 54 dead and 2 missing. At its height more than 71,000 victims were displaced. The most badly affected were Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Perak. Aid poured in from the common man and the NGOs.
SICB decided to carry out post flood relief aid to help the victims rebuild to some extent what they had lost. We started fund raising from our members, relatives and friends as well as applied for Disaster Relief Funds from SISWP. Thanks to the generosity of donors, we were able to raise RM31,444.30, including AUD3000 from SISWP and AUD250 from our Friendship Link Club, SI Helena.
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While fundraising proceeded, we looked for a partner to work with. We connected with Prakash from Sri Satya Sai Global Malaysia. We came to an agreement that we would concentrate outside the Klang Valley, where aid was less accessible. He was familiar with the Karak areas, flooded by the various rivers, and he could arrange storage of goods, ground logistics i.e. provision of staff and transport to distribute the goods contributed by SICB and his network. We recced 4 housing suburbs in Karak Town and SICB decided on Taman Wijaya which comprised 175 single storey houses that were under 2 metres high of water. Prakash took us on a shopping trip to Chow Kit to purchase woks, pots and ladles 11 Jan 2022 – distribution of woks, pots, ladles, rice, gas stoves, rice cookers, towels and sanitary pads to Taman Wijaya, Karak Town, Pahang. |
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12 Jan 2022 – delivery of drinking water and groceries to 52 families in Sg Lui, Hulu Langat whose natural water supply from the hills was disrupted. The amount of RM3640 was borne by Bank Runcit. 11 Feb 2022 – distribution of woks, pots, ladles, table fans, electric kettles, gas stoves, rice cookers, rice, towels, blankets, biscuits, sanitary pads, diapers, toothbrushes and toothpaste to 2 suburbs viz Taman Lancang Indah, which consisted of single storey terrace houses, and Taman Setia Lancang of low cost houses and timber houses. Lancang Town is 30 km from Karak Town. |
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The next trip would be to inner Karak.
We did not forget the natives - the orang asli in the jungles or at the fringes of the jungles, who were as badly affected by the floods and landslides. Items from the café of our member, Conny Looi, such as crockery, jugs etc were donated to the natives at Pulau Ketam.
We found another partner on the ground, John Chin, who had been working with the natives for 27 years. SICB donated 60 sets of woks, pots and ladles to the natives whose cooking utensils were rusty and battered. John helped distribute to 38 Jakun families at Kg Bugis, Pekan, and other natives in Kampongs in Muadzam Shah and Rompin. We would donate another 60 sets plus rice from Prakash to the orang asli.
Our 1st phase of aid was on distributing household items. The next phase would be on repairing the houses of the orang asli damaged by floods, strong winds and landslides.
We incurred RM18,493.60 as at 31 Jan 2022, leaving a balance of RM12,950.70 for the 2nd phase.
By: Sehu Chai Kee, Project Coordinator