After flood devastation, SMK Dabong struggles to pick up the pieces

Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Dabong folks hope their efforts and struggle in cleaning up damages and flood debris following the mud floods that hit the East Coast will be put to an end so that students can fit in for the 2015 school term comfortably.

“Today, we have the Royal Armed Forces aiding us to clean up the school premises as repercussions of the flood damage.

“Several regiments have been mobilised here, and cleaning work is in progress with the involvement of volunteers and teachers,” a teacher, who has requested anonymity said.

The source also said that cleaning process of the two blocks of the school have been completed, including the administration and laboratory buildings. Thick layers of mud have filled up all corners of the building covering the wall, furniture as well as the school belongings, akin to the floodwaters level.

“We are focused in cleaning the laboratory section because of the high quantity of chemical products,” he said, when contacted by Astro AWANI.

There are still cleaning work to be done at the other blocks including the teachers’ quarters, classrooms or the canteen. Damaged items need to be separated too,” said the source.

When Kuala Krai was inundated by massive flood, the school which consists of 900 students was submerged by double-storey floodwaters.

“At this juncture, only items including some teaching aids that we have managed to salvage, cleaned and reused. The wood furniture cannot be used as they are all ruined. What’s left is a few teaching aide that were safely wrapped with plastic,” said the source.

The Ministry of Education in a media statement announced that school terms were postponed for SMK Dabong and several primary schools around Kelantan until January 18.

Based on the date, volunteers have only seven days to complete the cleaning up process which appears as a challenge for all quarters involved in the cleaning process at the school.

“The armed forces personnel have informed us that we require over a month to complete the cleaning task as well as restoration work,” said the source.

The school management believes that cleaning work will be expedited with the full cooperation from all quarters.

At present, only the Royal Malaysian Armies and volunteers as well as teachers are doing their level best to assist us and there have been concerned parents and students who have been asking us about the current state of the school.

“We totally understand their situation. They are the victims of the flood and face difficulties at their respective homes,” he said.

To date, SMK Dabong is the only secondary school in Kelantan listed in the schools postponed for the 2015 school terms after it was hit by massive flood in Deember. Three more primary schools in the area affected including SK Dabong, SK Kemubu and SK Kuala Krai.