KUALA LUMPUR: Enough talk, just solve the worsening flood issue once and for all.

       Those were the words of Hana Shamsuddin, 30, after the shock of seeing her brand new Perodua Bezza submerged in a flash flood that hit the Wisma UOA 2 building on Monday.

       Many other locations in the Klang Valley were affected too.

       For Hana, it was like a bolt out of the blue.

       “It happened too fast, I have no idea where all this water came from, but within 30 minutes or so, everything had been submerged. Then, in just over two minutes, all the water was gone,” the insurance agent said.

       Prior to the heavy rain, Hana said she heard the thunder and felt the strong wind, but didn’t think the situation was going to be that bad.

       “I didn’t expect this. Who would think flooding could be this bad in the middle of Kuala Lumpur?

       “There’s nothing I can do now but to quickly send my car to a workshop,” she said, adding that most workshops were already fully booked.

       Car pooling of a different kind: Many cars, like this one, were submerged in water during the flash floods in Klang Valley, with repairs expected to cost a hefty sum. — CHAN TAK KONG/The Star

       Hana pleaded with the authorities to address the issue.

       “We have experienced floods a few times, but now it is getting more frequent. In fact, this is the worst I have seen.

       “I am disappointed with the building management who failed to alert us when the water started rising. We are paying for the parking service after all.

       “I also hope the government will relook its town planning and invest in a better flood alert system,” she said.

       As for Asmawi Amin, 43, Monday’s flood has left him pondering whether he should move out of Kampung Baru Sri Puchong, the place where he grew up.

       “I feel things will get worse because Sungai Klang has almost reached its capacity,” said the father of six.

       Asmawi was emptying his house of furniture with a few of his friends when met by reporters from The Star.

       “I think I might as well sit on coconut leaves,” he joked.

       “These sofas are what’s left from the previous (December) floods. My washing machine, refrigerator, newly-bought blender, and even my children’s schoolbooks are all gone,” said Asmawi, who survives doing odd jobs.

       He suggested that the government build flood barriers in the hardest-hit areas.

       “But flood walls and barriers are a short-term solution. For the long term, maybe they can start deepening the river,” he added.

       Another victim, Mohd Azman B Majudi, 54, had thought that he could breathe easy for a few years after the December floods.

       “They say floods happen once in 20 years, so I thought we would be okay.

       “We had just reached from our hometown in Bagan Datuk, Perak, that morning. We could not move anything. I could only save one television set,” said, Azman, whose Perodua Kancil, which was submerged in December, was under water again.

       “My clothes and even my work shoes are gone, so I had to request for additional leave,” he said.

       Norazila Ibrahim, 47, said she was having tea when water started to come into her house at Kampung Sri Andalas, Puchong.

       Norazila, who had just cleaned her house when met yesterday, said authorities should upgrade the drainage system in the area.

       “The water came in very quickly, the ditch in front of our house started to overflow and that was the main cause of the flood,” said the housewife.

       Nurul Farahhannan Baharudin, 31, who lives in Kampung Tengah, Puchong, is another person who can’t sleep every time it rains at night.

       Farahhannan, who lost over RM100,000 in the previous flood, said the waters only receded after 9pm on Monday.