An Orang Asli family in Mersing was forced to evacuate with a newborn as floodwaters rose rapidly, joining over 350 victims at relief centres.
MERSING: An Orang Asli family is often among the first to evacuate whenever floods hit Kampung Orang Asli Labong here due to their home’s low-lying location.
Resident Herman Awang, 48, said early preparations are typical during the monsoon, but the latest flood was unexpected.
Continuous spillover rain from neighbouring Pahang caused water levels to rise rapidly last Tuesday.
Two days of heavy rain resulted in floodwaters entering his home around 11 pm, forcing the family to secure belongings quickly.
The situation was more challenging as his second child had just given birth.
His one-month-old grandson had to be evacuated immediately as water levels continued rising early Wednesday morning.
Herman first took his grandson to a safer location before the family moved to the relief centre at Sekolah Kebangsaan Labong.
Besides property damage, the family was concerned about safety due to venomous animals during floods.
Another victim, Munah Harun, 64, said rising waters gave her time to help her child move belongings to higher ground.
She said this was the third flooding incident at her child’s home, with the worst in 2023 destroying most items.
Simah Tiwan, 48, evacuated with her family after floodwaters inundated their home.
Her main concern was the safety of her 74-year-old mother who uses a walking aid.
As of 2 pm today, the number of flood victims in Johor remained at 356 people from 93 families.
All victims are housed at three relief centres in the Mersing district.
