Malaysia’s northern states of Kedah, Perlis and Kelantan have been recently hit by floods, causing approximately 40,000 people to evacuate their homes.
The state of Kedah has been the worst hit, and blogger Noor Azlina Abdul Samad K, herself an evacuee, wrote [1]:
We had to make the decision to leave our house at night last Wednesday because the flood water was just a few feet away from entering our house. They had cut the water supply to the whole neighbourhood that day and was about to cut the electric supply too that night. So we knew we had to get out as fast as possible. Me, my Mom and my Aunt quickly packed our bags and did what we can to save our belongings and place them at a higher place in the house. I couldn't save everything. I just did what I could and leave the rest to God. So much to do, so little time as the flood water came in so fast. A lot of people didn't expect it to be as bad as it was.
All I hope now is that I will have the energy when the time comes to clean up the house that will be full of dirt and mud from the flood. I don't know how my Mom and I am going to do it this time……but we will do it the best we can. Slowly but surely……it will all be ok.
I won't be able to work as well…..perhaps for a month or two till everything is settled. I don't know……it's uncertain. I just leave it to God right now. Pray for my health ya!!
The Ti-Ratana Penchala Community Centre, wrote in their blog [2] their mission to help the flood victims:
We at Ti-Ratana Penchala Community would like to assist MCRS (Malaysia Red Cross Society) who is looking for help in kind for flood victims in Kedah such as blankets,sarongs, mineral water,panadol,sanitary pads,soap,rice, bee hoon, can sardine, baked beans,condense milk,tooth paste, milo, coffee etc….
Let's put our hands together to help the flood victim. You are most welcome to contribute in any kind and forward these item to Ti-Ratana Penchala Community Centre (21, Jalan Penchala, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia) by 11 Nov 2010 before 5pm. MCRS will be in our centre to pick them up on 12 Nov 2010 morning.
Blogger Shanmugam Lakshmanan managed to inject some humour [3] into the situation:
You need to get to higher ground. From Deep Impact, we can see that you're supposed to leave your house and head for the mountains, but since everybody else is going to do the same thing and clog up the roads, you'd better get a bike, like Elijah Wood did. And in 2012, the gigantic ships were all built and launched in the Himalayas because that was the last place the flood waters would reach.
There have also been calls for the government to postpone the Malaysian Certificate of Education (SPM) examinations, which is a national examination taken by all secondary school students and is equal to the O-Level; which the government has refused.