BALING: The uncertain weather and erosion along Sungai Kupang near here has left flood victims afraid to return home.
They fear that their houses are no longer safe to reside in.
Mariam Abdul Isa, 71, from Kampung Bukit Iboi, said she has no choice but to continue to live in her house once the floodwaters subside because she can't afford to rent or build a new house elsewhere.
"The erosion at the riverbank has become so bad that the river is almost at the same level as my house. My children and I are traumatised.
"We have nowhere else to live. If it was up to me, I would go home, but the roads leading back to my house are covered with mud. My children are now cleaning up the mud and silt.
"My refrigerator is damaged, so is my washing machine. The floodwaters were about a metre high. This is the second time this has happened. It's no longer safe to live here," she said.
Mariam was speaking at the SK Iboi flood evacuation centre.
Another victim at the centre, Che Mah Wahab, 75, said she was also unable to move due to financial constraints.
She said even though her house is a double-storey unit, it was rundown and in urgent need of repairs.
"I've been listed as a potential recipient of a new government house in Kampung Bok Bak, but we don't know yet when it will be ready.
"We hope the government will speed up the construction of the new house. We no longer feel safe in the old house, which is located only two metres away from the river.
"Whenever it rains, we get scared. If the rain continues after this, it's likely that the house will be flooded again," she said.
On Wednesday, three villages, namely Kampung Iboi, Kampung Bukit Iboi and Kampung Padang Ampang, were yet again hit by floods after Sungai Kupang broke its banks. Almost 200 houses were affected.
As of yesterday, 155 families, comprising 579 people, are still being housed at four relief centres namely SK Iboi, SMK Jerai, SK Sungai Keda and the Surau Annur.
UNSAFE DUE TO EROSION
