JERANTUT: About 100 foreign tourists were rescued from the National Park near Kuala Tahan after water levels at Sungai Tembling increased rapidly since this morning.
Mei Yin Cheong, a tourist from Australia who was born in Kota Baru, said she was advised by the management at her accommodation to evacuate as Sungai Tembeling's level rose.
"My family and I have another day to spend here but we were advised by the management to relocate if we wanted to.
"After discussing it with my husband and daughter, we decided to get out of the place and continue our journey to Kuala Lumpur on transit to our next destination," she said when met in Jalan Jerantut-Kuala Tahan near Kampung Paya Garok near here today.
She said her daughter Eva Nova, 12, did not complain with what happened. Mei said the family had been able to enjoy the tropical rainforest before they evacuated due to floods.
She thanked the accommodation's management for helping to get her family out of area to safety.
A tourist from Rotterdam, the Netherlands, Bart Langerveld, 53, said in a way,
"We were surprised when we were told that the water levels at the river were rising. They management of the place we stayed said we had to be taken out as safety measure and we accepted that.
"We had a chance to explore this 130 year old tropical rainforest and it was fun despite facing the rain."
Langerveld said he was aware that December was the rainy season in this part of Malaysia, and admitted that the experience was something his family will remember.
Meanwhile, about 5,000 residents in Felda settlements and traditional villages along Jalan Jerantut-Kuala Tahan had their access cut off when floods hit the bridge in Kampung Paya Garuk.
A 220m area along the route was inundated in 0.5m-deep flood waters. The route connects Jerantut with Felda Padang Piol, Felda Sungai Retang and other traditional villages along Sungai Tembeling.
Latest trends show that Sungai Pahang's level is rising.
Jerantut district police chief Superintendent Azman Mat Kamis said the road between Jerantut and Lipis was also closed to all vehicles when three locations were flooded.
The areas are Kampung Sepial; the Sungai Kerak bridge and the Sungai Teh bridge
"Motorists who want to go to Lipis should use Jalan Jerantut-Benta as an alternative route," said Azman.
