JERTIH, Oct 27 (Bernama)-Residents of the village on Pulau Perhentian have begun early preparations for the Northeast Monsoon (MTL), which is expected to bring heavy rain and raise the risk of flooding in low-lying parts of the village.
Azizah Ab Rahman, 59, said the village is particularly vulnerable when heavy rain coincides with high tides, causing water to stagnate because it cannot drain quickly into the sea.
“In previous MTL seasons, low-lying areas such as Kampung Tengah flooded to nearly one metre deep when rainwater coming down from the hills could not flow out because of the high tide,” she said when met at her house yesterday.
“As a precaution, I started moving household items to higher ground a few days ago, as floods can occur at any time during the monsoon.”
Azizah, who has lived alone since her husband passed away several years ago, said her children work and live on the mainland. She has been relying on neighbours to help move heavier items such as the refrigerator and washing machine from the kitchen to the higher section of the house.
She added that while flash floods usually recede within a few hours after the rain stops, early preparations are important to avoid damage to household goods and property losses.
Another resident, Hayatunnupus Nawawi, 36, has also taken steps to protect her belongings. She has placed her refrigerator in the living room on a specially built platform about 1.5 metres high.
“I have kept the refrigerator there permanently since last year’s incident because it is difficult to move it when flooding occurs,” she said. “I have two young children, aged five and nine, while my husband, Ali Abdullah, 36, is physically paralysed.”
Pulau Perhentian Village Development and Security Committee (JPKK) chairman Nik Zawawi Mohd Nor said around 30 houses are usually affected whenever flooding occurs in the village.
He explained that the floods are generally caused by heavy rain coinciding with high tides during the MTL, which slows the drainage of water into the sea.
“Flooding usually lasts about two hours and may occur several times throughout the MTL season, depending on rainfall and tidal conditions,” he said.
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