KOTA TINGGI: Annoyed with the constant flooding to their homes, a group of residents in Jalan Marikat Batu 9, Kampung Mawai here, has taken the initiative to build a 300-meter drainage system using their own money.

A resident, Nur Azizan Morshidi, 35 said residents managed to collect RM500 to rent an excavator to carry out the work last month.

She said the initiative worked as flood water did not enter their homes. Previously when it rained, the water level would raise up to their calves.

“The eight of us decided to pool our money to build the drain to prevent our homes from being flooded.null

“And our preparations prevented our homes from being flooded. Before this, because of the floods, a lot of our possessions were damaged including cupboards and mattresses.

“We could not salvage anything and that is the reason why we hired professionals to dig the drain,” she said when met at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Mawai flood relief centre (PPS) here Monday (Jan 6).

A mother of one, Nur Azizan had been staying in the area for the past five years.

And now, she and her husband Baki Anak Tawan, 55 and eight other families can heave a sigh of relief after their effort was successful.

However, despite the accomplishment, they still had to be evacuated to the PPS because the main road to their village had been cut off because of the floods.

Nur Azizan said she and her family were evacuated at 3pm on Sunday (Jan 2) with the help of Civil Defence Force personnel following heavy rain since 5am.

Meanwhile, the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, accompanied by his sons Tunku Temenggong of Johor Tunku Idris Iskandar Sultan Ibrahim, Tunku Panglima of Johor Tunku Abdul Rahman Sultan Ibrahim and Tunku Putera of Johor Tunku Abu Bakar Sultan Ibrahim visited 117 flood victims at SK Mawai PPS at 12.15pm on Monday.

They spent about 20 minutes talking to the flood victims. – Bernama

credit photo: TheStar