THE SALVATION ARMY S RESPONSE TO FLOODS IN MALAYSIA AND THE PLIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE AFFECTED BY THE HEAVY RAINS IN THE EAST COAST

Transcription

1 REPORT ON: THE SALVATION ARMY S RESPONSE TO FLOODS IN AND THE PLIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE AFFECTED BY THE HEAVY RAINS IN THE EAST COAST MENTAKAB, TEMERLOH & KUALA KRAU PAHANG DURING THE PERIOD 28 DECEMBER 2014 TO 3 JANUARY 2015 REPORTED BY: PREPARED BY: FOR: MAJOR TAN GUAT HAI TEAM LEADER KELSEY KUEK PUBLIC RELATIONS COORDINATOR TERRITORIAL HEADQUARTERS SINGAPORE, & MYANMAR TERRITORY

2 INTRODUCTION Heavy seasonal rains and strong winds have affected most parts of Malaysia since mid- December 2014 and are expected to continue until early January The rains have caused severe flooding in the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia namely; Terengganu, Pahang and Kelantan. In addition to the three most affected states, four other states in the Peninsular (Perak, Johor, Selangor and Perlis) and one state in East Malaysia (Sabah) are also experiencing floods due to the heavy and persistent rainfalls. Till this point, the highest flood was recorded at 255 mm (International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), 31 December 2014). This is undeniably the worst flooding in decades. By 31 December 2014, the flood had taken the lives of up to 21 people and displaced almost a quarter of a million others. Kelantan was the worst-hit state, with 14 deaths and more than 158, 000 people displaced (Agence-France-Presse, 31 December 2014). On 26 December 2014, Major Tan Guat Hai, Kuala Lumpur Corps Team Leader contacted Major Hary Haran, Territorial Programme Secretary seeking advice and direction from Territorial Headquarters to set up an emergency relief team to help in areas affected by the flood. At the same time, Major Tan was also in contact with Mr Stanley Yeong who was already in Mentakab, Pahang. Major Tan travelled there to meet up with him and assess the critical conditions of the victims there together. This report outlines the response, the amounts of aid distributed, the places where aid was given and the development of the Emergency Flood Relief Also included in this report are photographs and extracts from newspaper reports. Kelsey Kuek Public Relations Coordinator Relations Office Kuala Lumpur Kelsey_Kuek@smm.salvationarmy.org 2

3 CONTENTS News on the Flood.. 4 Daily Account on the Emergency Relief Operation.. 9 Short Testimonies.. 20 Overview: Emergency Relief Distributed. 22 Acknowledgments 24 Newspaper Clipping.. 25 Appendix I: Food Distribution Records Appendix II: Food Distribution Records Transcript Appendix III: Thank You Letters 3

4 NEWS ON THE FLOOD Even by Malaysian standards, the flooding that started around Christmas 2014 was overwhelming. Neighbourhoods turned into islands surrounded by a sea of murky brown water, rivers overflowed onto the streets, and cars were swept away and toppled over. CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam reported: Strong high pressure developed over Eastern Europe and Chine and strong northeasterly winds from the South China Sea brought heavier rainfall over Malaysia, Indonesia and southern Thailand. As such, while the affected areas along Peninsular Malaysia s East Coast are actually accustomed to monsoons, the northeast monsoon that has gripped Malaysia in December 2014-January 2015 was particularly harsh. The Rakyat Post Published: 26 December :50am Number of flood evacuees passes the 100, 000 mark Residents of Kuala Krau braving the flood waters at the Temerloh-Jerantut road yesterday. Pahang is rapidly becoming one of the worst hit states in the flood. - Bernama pic 4

5 The Star Online Published: 27 December :33pm BY FOONG PEK YEE Floods: Central Pahang on high alert : The Flooding in Pahang is moving downstream and Temerloh, Mentakab and Triang are on high alert, Pahang MCA chief Datuk Hoh Khai Mun said. While the situation in Kuantan and Sungei Lembing has improved, the number of flood victims in relief centres in Kuantan was still the highest, 15, 072 out of the total 35, 561 in Pahang as of 8am Saturday, Hoh said when contacted in the afternoon The Star/Asia News Network Published: 30 December 2014 Situation getting worse in eight districts in Pahang KUANTAN Eight districts in Pahang are badly affected by the floods which saw 37, 389 people from 9, 065 families displaced from their homes. Topping the list was Temerloh with 15, 366 people from 77 villages, followed by Jerantut with 6, 025 people from 52 villages and Pekan with 5, 108 people from 40 villages. The figures are expected to climb due to continuous rainfall with the Malaysian Meteorological Department issuing a warning on heavy rain and strong winds for the next 48 hours. Continuous rain over the last 24 hours also saw Temerloh and Mentakab towns inundated with knee deep waters. The Star Online Published: 28 December 2014 Floods: Pahang prepares for third wave KUANTAN: The people in Pahang have been told to face third wave of floods expected to strike from Monday until Wednesday Two very important things to focus on in times of floods are the efforts of the relevant agencies in saving lives and drinks to victims. So far four deaths have been reported in Pahang, each in Lipis, Jerantut, Temerloh and Sungai Lembing. 5

6 The Malay Mail Online Published: 3 January 2015 BY MELISSA CHI In Temerloh, villagers not on the list appeal to NGOs for supplies as village chiefs cherry pick recipients TEMERLOH Even as Malaysians from all walks of life donated massive amounts of food and daily essentials to flood victims, some in Temerloh are claiming they have not receive any as village chief picked recipients. Housewife Hashimah Abdul Halim from Kampung Lubuk Kawah said ample supplies had been given to the village chief to be distributed but her family as well as many others did not receive any as their names were not on the list. Thank god we have enough supplies as aid was sent in about three times since the flooding began. 6

7 But most of the time they were from NGOs. The government only sent once and they only gave us one kilo of rice, she told Malay Mail Online outside her home yesterday. Speaking in Malay, she said her husband has been going to the distribution centre by boat to pick up supplies as well as arrange for the authorities to help send in aid to the villagers here. Already hosting three families, the 52-year-old said about 40 homes in her village were cut off while three homes were completely flooded. I want to appeal to the public, if you want to donate, please do so through NGOs or make arrangements to send them straight to the victims. Don t go through the village chiefs. I feel for them. As water recedes further tomorrow and people start to go home, they will need supplies such as food and clothes, she said. 7

8 Kuala Krau Mentakab Temerloh Chenor 8

9 DAILY ACCOUNT OF THE EMERGENCY FLOOD RELIEF 26 December 2014 A day after Christmas, Major Tan wrote to the Programme Secretary, Major Hary seeking direction and advice from The Salvation Army Territorial Headquarters (THQ) to set up an emergency relief operation to help the flood victims of the East Coast in Peninsular Malaysia. He informed Major Hary that the current flooding situation was very bad; to the extent that most of the important roads to the flood affected areas had been closed. On top of that, electricity had also been cut off for some parts of the states there. As such, it was difficult to enter the areas by van alone and it was dangerous to travel at once the day gets dark. Major Tan shared his plan to visit the affected areas once the roads were reopened to further assess the situation and understand the people s immediate needs before being able to provide aid. 27 December 2014 Major Hary responded and approved Major Tan s request to travel to make assessments. He kindly requested Major Tan to update THQ regarding his following plan of action while he will see to the necessary interim approvals to set up an emergency relief operation. 30 December 2014 Major Tan updated Major Hary that roads were still closed. He was, however, in close contact with Mr Stanley Yeong who was already at the scene, rescuing and helping flood victims in Mentakab, Pahang. Mr Stanley was raised in The Salvation Army Penang Boy s Home when he was still a young boy. He has grown to be a strong Christian and a very respectable man. Mr Stanley was working with the Bomba & Penyelamat Mentakab (firemen) to evacuate people who were trapped in the flood. The firemen at Mentakab had graciously offered their premise to The Salvation Army to be used as their base of operation. Major Tan also sought approval from Major Hary to purchase a boat. Even if The Salvation Army had the necessary resources, they would need a boat for transportation. Mr Stanley had two 9

10 boats at his disposal at that time which he generously offered to lend to The Salvation Army in their Emergency Relief Operation. Later in the day, after thorough planning and making arrangements for the relief operation, Major Tan ed Major Hary with another update. The only transports into the critical areas in Mentakab were by truck (for roads with shallower waters) and boat (for roads inaccessible by trucks). Additionally, as there were people who were literally trapped in the flood, it was crucial to provide food stuff for them. In areas other than Mentakab, Temerloh (which is approximately 10 kilometres away from Mentakab) were in dire need for aid as well. As such, according to Major Tan s assessment, the important items needed urgently were clean water, food stuff and transportation. Budget and approval for purchasing a boat at this point was utmost necessary besides emergency food supplies. Major Tan also pointed out that he needed volunteers to help and asked all Salvationists if there were any willing to join him in the cause. 31 December 2014 Fortunately, Major Tan was quick to receive approval to purchase a boat from Territorial Commander, Lyndon Buckingham as there was still a large group of people stranded in the flood. Despite the rising water levels, they refused to leave their homes or to evacuate to places far from their property because they need to guard their belongings. Sadly, even in these trying times, thieving was a serious problem. As such, the only way Major Tan could help them was to send them food and clean water daily by boat. Major Tan saw to the purchase of a boat immediately after receiving approval and it arrived in the afternoon. Once that was settled, Major Tan continued his rescue mission with Mr Stanley. There were people who had been trapped in the flood for days. When the locals saw the water levels rising, they moved to the second floor of their homes. But when the water continued to rise, they had nowhere else to go but onto the roof or hide under the roof of their house. Mr Stanley s manager, Ms Lee Heng Huah was in charge of coordinating the boats and recording the amounts of food distributed. As the main highway links to the badly affected 10

11 areas were still closed, they had to travel using trunk roads and mountain side roads to reach the locals. Major Tan also wrote to Major Hary seeking for a budget to be allocated for the purchase of food items. At that time, the food distributed by Major Tan and Mr Stanley were food parcels (biscuits and instant noodles only) donated by government organisations. Major Tan also requested permission for Lt Andrew Lo to drive the Penang Family Thrift Store (FTS) truck to pick up donated food stuff from Salvation Army centres and deliver them to Mentakab. The officers who volunteered to help were Lt Andrew and Cpt Chong Kho Ken. 11

12 1 January 2015 New Year s Day came, but instead of celebrating the New Year with friends and families, many Kuala Lumpur Corps members volunteered their help. THQ had granted a budget of RM100, for the emergency relief operation so KL Corps church members went with Major Brenda Tan to NSK Trade City to purchase food supplies. It was planned that the food was to be transported by a 10-tonne truck, courtesy by Mr Christopher Ong who is a loyal member of KL Corps congregation. Lt Andrew would also be transporting lighter goods and donated clothes with the Penang FTS truck which could carry up to 1-tonne. Food supplies bought that day include: Drinking water Rice Eggs Instant Noodles Biscuits Onions Potatoes Canned sardines Salt & Sugar While the team were at NSK, a kind lady who saw what The Salvation Army members were doing also donated one trolley full of food items which included canned mackerels and instant noodles. KL Corps volunteers were to also travel together to Mentakab in 3 vehicles after lunch, together with the truck. There was a total of 21 volunteers that day; 3 from Penang and 18 from Kuala Lumpur. In their travel to Mentakab, the volunteers were faced with a number of unexpected obstacles. The 10-tonne truck was overloaded with goods. It was too heavy to travel all the way to Mentakab. Mr Christopher Ong was swift to respond by bringing a 5-tonne truck to unload and 12

13 help transport some of the food supplies. The volunteers suggested transferring some food to their own vehicles. Once that was done, they continued their journey to Mentakab only to hit another snag. The Penang FTS truck had blown a tire on the way. Though there were many delays, the team managed to arrive at Mentakab safely at 6pm. Upon their arrival, they were introduced to Ms Lee and the firemen who greeted them with much hospitality. Tables were set up and the food stuff was unpacked from their pallets and packed into food parcels. According to Chief Fireman, PPgB Mohd Kamarudin, The Salvation Army was the first NGO on scene to offer help through Bomba & Penyelamat Mentakab. They were in dire need of food supplies as they had just distributed the last of hteir food resources the day The Army arrived. Their priority at that point was to transport food by boats to families who were trapped in the flood. The team and other volunteers worked to pack food parcels till 10pm. As most of the affected villages had little to no accessible roads and it was already dark; travelling at night even with the available boats was not a safe or feasible plan. Major Tan and several volunteers stayed back while the rest of the KL team drove home. Major Tan and the remaining volunteers worked with the local firemen to find and assess the safer routes to take to get to the affected areas and reach the victims the next day. They were to wake at dawn to begin the food parcel delivery. 13

14 14

15 2 January 2015 While most of the volunteers from KL Corps had gone home the night before, Major Tan and Lt Andrew worked together with the firemen to continue their food parcel delivery to areas such as Chenor and Kampung Batu. They worked from morning till noon before taking a short break for lunch. It was decided that Major Tan, Lt Andrew and the firemen would split into different groups to be able to cover more area quicker before nightfall. 15

16 Meanwhile, the KL Corps members gathered at the Corps to pre-pack the vegetable and oil supply bought that evening. It was almost 12am before they finished packing and cleaning up. 3 January 2015 Many more volunteers from KL arrived on Saturday to help in the cause. Besides the team that came to help The Salvation Army, there were another group of volunteers from Tom, Dick and Harry s. Major Tan had a discussion with Assistant Chief Fireman; Encik Baharum to bring the team from Tom, Dick and Harry s to Chenor (which was still a critical area) and continue the food distribution to families who had not been given aid the day before. There were approximately 30 volunteers in that group and they had brought six boats. A second batch of food was to arrive in the afternoon, carrying vegetable, oil, baby diapers, adult diapers and instant noodles. While waiting for the truck to arrive, Capt Chong brought the KL team to Kuala Krau for food distribution. Initially, Major Tan was quite reluctant as he had received news that the waters at Kuala Krau had subsided and the residents at Kuala Krau were not in dire need of the food supplies. Roads in and out of Kuala Krau were accessible by car and the residents were able to obtain their own food. However, Capt. Chong insisted that little to no help was given to the residents of Kuala Krau. Capt. Chong had brought 89 food parcels, 100 bags of rice, 50 bottles of mineral water and trays of eggs from the resources at the fire station for his mission. The team drove in two vehicles and the Penang FTS truck to Kuala Krau. Residents gathered around the truck to collect the food parcels. The situation was handled very differently and less orderly as compared to the way the other food distribution was handled. It was different because the residents were the ones who came to collect the food supply and there was no registration or recording done to ensure that the food was distributed accordingly and fairly between families. The KL team returned to the fire station for lunch after their distribution but Capt Chong had travelled elsewhere to help his family clean up their home. Everyone rested and had their lunch while they waited for the truck to arrive with the food supplies. Once the truck arrived, all the volunteers helped pack the items into food parcels. 16

17 Later in the afternoon, Mr Stanley and Ms Lee brought the volunteers to Kampung Padang Kerbau to deliver the food parcels by boat. There were two boats available and because the food parcels were quite heavy, only 3-4 volunteers were allowed to go each time. At about 8pm, Major Tan and the other volunteers went home to rest. Major Tan left slightly earlier as he had to prepare for Covenant Sunday. Everyone one else had their own church and commitments to attend to as well. 17

18 4 January 2015 Major Tan was unable to travel to Mentakab in the morning as he had to deliver the Sunday sermon. As such, Mr Stanley and Ms Lee helped him to monitor and saw to the food parcel delivery on his behalf. They were excellent supervisors and Ms Lee recorded every single food parcels that were delivered on that day along with the other daily necessities that were given. 5 January 2015 Major Tan and Ms Lee managed to distribute food parcels to 46 families before noon. By the time it was afternoon, Major Tan, Lt Andrew, Ms Lee and PPgB Kamarudin gathered for a meeting to assess the situation as of that point. The water surrounding Mentakab had subsided and in places like Kuala Krau, people had already begun to clean their houses and property from the thick, brown mud that caked their belongings. The residents of Mentakab and Kuala Krau were beginning to carry on with their normal lives. While a lot of their belongings and property had been damaged or destroyed by the flood, Major Tan and all at the meeting decided that there was no longer an emergency. The local firemen had also started to clean their own premises. Everyone agreed that the crisis had passed and the emergency relief operation had achieved its mission. Major Tan thanked the firemen for their efficiency, honesty and most of all their extreme hard work and contribution to the cause. 18

19 Major Tan and Lieutenant Andrew Lo thanked Mr Kamarudin and his team for their great efforts in helping The Salvation Army reach out to the many flood victims in Mentakab, Temerloh and Kuala Krau. Not only did they provide transport and guide the KL team and volunteers to each village safely, but they took care of the team s well-being throughout the emergency relief work. 19

20 SHORT TESTIMONIES Jenny Lim KL Corps Member First thing that came to my mind was; what can I do to assist? We did not look for fame or publicity but we worked with the locals to reach out to flood victims trapped without access to basic necessities. Our love transformed into action; Heart to God, Hand to Man. Zoe Kuek KL Church Youth It was an eye-opening experience. It brought me great joy to know that we could do something about it. Owe no one anything, except lo love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. - Romans 13:8 Patricia Kuek Volunteer The Salvation Army volunteers did a swift and good job there. Overall, it was well-organised and I was glad to have the opportunity to contribute. Blessed are those who donated and volunteered their invaluable time in the cause. Jordan Ang KL Corps Youth It was my first time joining a relief work. I was glad that I could work with so many volunteers to help the flood victims. 20

21 Edward Kok Volunteer It was an enriching experience for me. Although the travel was tiring and the packing the food parcels was exhausting but it was really worth it because this random act of kindness means a lot to the flood victims. Christopher Ong KL Corps Member I m glad to be able to help the flood relief effort put up by The Salvation Army, KL Corps. The devastating flood left many people stranded without food and water for days. Seeing the aid reaching the neediest areas makes all the hard work worthwhile. More importantly, this experience reaffirms our belief that our heart is to God and our hand to man; regardless of race or religion. Ng Kah Kit KL Corps Youth Being able to help the needy was a gift from God as I am able to bring a smile to their face by doing His work. Juliana Chin KL Corps Member I was amazed at how such a great amount of food was purchased, transported and packed all in a day. That day also came with challenges; overloaded truck and punctured tire. But both problems were handled swiftly! KL Corps is awesome!! All glory and honour to His name! 21

22 Julie Lim KL Corps Member Throughout the 2.5 hours drive to Mentakab on New Year s, I couldn t imagine how bad the situation was until we entered Mentakab. I thank God that we could respond and provide the basic needs of the victims. Very glad to be part of the team. 22

23 OVERVIEW: EMERGENCY RELIEF DISTRIBUTED FOOD ITEM Drinking water Rice (5kg) Onions Potatoes Instant Noodles Sugar Salt Sardines Biscuits Eggs Vegetables Oil QUANTITY 550 boxes 600 bags 250 packs 250 packs 159 boxes 50 packs (big) 15 packs (big) 201 boxes 430 boxes 100 trays 300 kilograms 30 boxes (1kg x 510 bags) TOTAL COST: RM 44, Items bought with Donations: RM Items Quantity 2, Instant Noodles & Chicken meat 1, Milk powder 51 packs Adult diaper 24 packs Baby diaper 9 packs 23

24 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Salvation Army would like to thank every single individual who contributed their time, effort and extreme hard work in our Emergency Flood Relief Without everyone s help and involvement, The Salvation Army would not have been able to provide aid to approximately 1128 families in Mentakab, Temerloh and Kuala Krau. We wish to especially acknowledge: God, our Father SMM Leadership Bomba & Penyelamat Mentakab PPgB Mohd Kamarudin bin Mohd Saufi Encik Baharum Mr Stanley Yeong Ms Lee Heng Huah Mr Vincent Ong KL Corps Council KL Corps Members, Friends and Volunteers Lieutenant Andrew Lo Penang Volunteers Captain Chong Kho Ken 24

25 NEWSPAPER CLIPPING Sinchew Metro Saturday 10 January