'The water rose to our chins': Malaysian villagers slam project to stem river flow after floods force over 28,000 to leave homes

When the flood waters rose up to his thigh level in his house at about 1am on Monday (Dec 25), it was a case of deja vu for Kelantan villager Mohd Riduan Jusoh. 

“My family had just returned from the flood relief centre (PPS) at SK Chenulang last week. Now I have to be prepared to evacuate again if the water continues to rise," said the 29-year-old to Bernama. 

“I won’t hesitate to evacuate to ensure the safety of my family."

Some 10 villages in Chenulang over in Kelantan have been flooded again following heavy rain this week. 

It was the same for villager Mohd Irwan Faizal who saw his home submerged in the floods with only the rooftop visible, reported The New Straits Times (NST). 

His home was one of 60 in Kampung Tersang, Kelantan affected by the flood, despite it being located on the highest point in the village. 

Said this 40-year-old: "The flood here is severe, just like last December. And we cannot imagine our lives as residents here after this. This is the third time we have been hit by floods, and it's the worst we've ever experienced."

28,000 flood victims evacuated

More than 28,000 people in Malaysia have been forced to leave their homes as heavy rainfall continue to flood the region, reported The Star on Wednesday (Dec 27).

Johor and Sabah have become the latest states to be hit by floods in Malaysia, taking the total to six states including Kelantan, Terengganu and Selangor.

In Johor, 108 victims have been housed in two relief centres while in Sabah, 180 victims have been placed in three relief centres.

Kelantan has been reported as the state with the highest number of flood victims of 17,466 who have been placed in 89 relief centres.

Water levels hit record high

The Golok River, an international border that separates Kelantan and Thailand, hit a record high of 11.4 metres, exceeding the 10.84m record during the 2014 floods, according to Kelantan Department of Irrigation and Drainage (JPS) on Tuesday (Dec 26). 

The flood worsened after the embankment of the Sungai Golok Integrated River Basin Development (PLSB) project collapsed, affecting areas in Kelantan such as Rantau Panjang. 

Rantau Panjang resident Faris Roslan shared a clip of the massive floods outside his home on the Rantau Panjang Post Facebook page on Tuesday.

"The water rose to our chins," Faris Roslan said, adding that "because of this project, the people now also face stagnant floods in several villages as the floodwater cannot recede into the river." 

Earlier this year, more than 500 residents affected by floods due to the PLSB project participated in a peaceful demonstration in Rantau Panjang to voice their objections.

Villager Roslan Deraman, 44, said then: "On behalf of the residents, I am appealing for the construction of the dam to be reviewed or simply stopped so that more severe floods do not occur and burden the residents."

'Need to review the situation'

The 2.2 billion ringgit (S$620 million) flood mitigation project for the Golok River was rolled out last December by Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad. 

On Tuesday, Kelantan Chief Minister, Datuk Mohd Nassuruddin Daud told local media after visiting flood victims at a PPS that "the state government has received many complaints from the affected victims, urging us to solve the issue".

He added that the federal government need to solve the problem soon for the safety of the flood victims.

In response, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said: "We understand the grievances of the residents there. We need to review the situation because, after the project is completed, we need to modify the existing spillway structure."

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ashwini.balan@asiaone.com