KOTA KINABALU: Just days after floods devastated homes in Penampang, donation drives were begun to help affected families.
Church communities, folk from neighbouring villages and others started the drives to help victims from Penampang areas like Kampung Maang, Kampung Sugud and Kampung Madsiang whose houses were either submerged in floodwater or destroyed by landslides.
Those affected are now living with the dirt, unable to do any cleaning due to the lack of water supply in many areas, while some have been living without electricity for the past three to four days.
A donation drive organiser, Jinilis Ebol, who is representing the Sugud Catholic Community Committee, said following the freak storm on Sept 15, over 300 families in Kg Sugud were affected by mud floods.
“Almost everyone’s home is full of mud, and due to a lack of electricity and water supply, none of them are able to clean. They now have inches of mud in their homes,” he said.
He said some even lost their possessions and vehicles were destroyed, while a few homes were washed away due to the flood and landslides.
Ebol said victims urgently need water, dry food and clothes.
Animals, too, get a helping hand, like this macaque, from WRU rangers.
Those who want to help can contact the Assumption of Our Lady Church in Kg Sugud.
Meanwhile, a group of vets and doctors from Penampang and Kota Kinabalu, among others, has started sending foodstuff to some 40 affected victims in Kg Sugud and Kg Maang.
Its representative Dr Randolf Paza said the donations were collected among themselves as they wished to help in every way possible.
Villager Leanne David posted on Facebook that she had never experienced such a terrible flood, let alone a mud flood, in her 15 years of living in Kg Kodou, also in the Sugud area.
“Look at our village, it has become a river. Our houses, machinery, vehicles, everything is gone,” she said.
Elve Cynthia from Kg Maang said despite the challenges faced, she and her family just wanted to move on and try to rebuild their lives.
She posted on Facebook that her family members were thankful that they could evacuate and save their pets, too.
Those who wish to help can visit these victims’ individual Facebook pages for more details, or search via the Penampang Voices Facebook page as many people have shared their predicament following the disaster.
State Public Works Minister Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin said the state government had set up a special committee to study natural disasters and frequency.
Earlier, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that cash aid for every family affected by the northeast monsoon, or other disasters, had been increased from RM500 to RM1,000.