Caregiver Devika sacrifices Deepavali for the sake of Makcik Supiah

P. Devika, 57, said she and her husband cancelled their plans to travel to Kuala Lumpur for the occasion after realising that Supiah Musa, 76, was trapped by rising flood waters in her house in Taman Tanjung Bendahara here.

"Makcik Supiah's house has been flooded the past four days. When the water level rose this morning, I contacted the Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM) for help to relocate her to my house," she said when met by reporters here today.

Devika said she obtained permission from Supiah's adopted son to evacuate her out of concern for the elderly woman's safety and health.

Devika, who lives in Taman Sultan Abdul Halim, about one kilometre from Supiah's house, has been hired to look after her for the past four years.

Devika said Supiah is partially paralysed and has been living alone since her husband died a few years ago.

"I feel sorry for her so I decided not to celebrate Deepavali today. I helped to bring her to my home and will send her back when the water recedes," she added.

Kedah APM operations and disaster division officer Muhammad Hilmi Yaakob said they received an SOS to relocate Supiah at about 1 pm.

"We then sent a four-wheel drive and an ambulance with five personnel to the location. We immediately evacuated the senior citizen as the water level in the area had reached about 0.5 metre high," he said.