RANTAU PANJANG: About 300 villagers in low-lying areas here are preparing for floods by setting up scaffolding to make it easier to move their belongings, building bridges and reinforcing their homes.
With heavy rain beginning here today, they are more than willing to fork out some money to do these things.
Most villagers said they have been making such preparations every monsoon season for the past 10 years.
The New Straits Times spoke to these villagers who live along the Golok river bank in Kampung Lanchang, Kampung Tok Deh, Kampung Bendang Perol and Kampung Terusan.
Odd-job worker Zulhilmi Abdul Halim said his house would be inundated every time the village is hit by flood.
"It is normal for us to evacuate once the flood hits our village. We will only bring our clothes and important documents as we do not have any expensive properties.
"We only have a small television, fridge and washing machine. My father bought scaffolding to place our belongings on it," said Zulhilmi, who is the second of six siblings.
He said his family would place planks on scaffolding and put their belongings on them when they evacuate their house during floods.
He said many other villagers do similar preparations to face the northeast monsoon, which is expected to start on Saturday.
"Some of them conducted renovation work by building concrete structures built slightly higher than their house or shophouse. This makes it easier for them to move their belongings," he said.
Housewife Mek Yam Hamad said her son has built a tiny wooden bridge connecting his home to the main road in Kampung Terusan.
"My son Mohamad Yusof has been doing this since the big flood in 2014. To date, he has never removed the bridge except to repair it after floods," she said.
The 80-year-old mother of six, who is unable to walk only relies on a walking stick to move around.
Her family would only move to a flood relief centre if the situation is severe.
'I prefer to remain at home in my condition. It is painful for me to move. I also do not want to trouble my family," she said.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) issued a warning yesterday saying that the northeast monsoon is expecting four to six episodes of heavy rainfall from Nov 11 until March next year.
In a statement, it said heavy rainfall episodes are expected in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Johor and western Sarawak from this month until January next year.
However, METMalaysia said if the monsoon winds are strong and coincide with the presence of a low-pressure weather system, continuous heavy rain can occur in other states of Malaysia.
It also said from that February to March 2024, it is expected that the northern regions of the peninsula (Perlis, Kedah, Penang, Perak, Kelantan and Terengganu), Sabah, Labuan, and northern Sarawak will experience reduced rainfall.
