SHAH ALAM: Floodwaters in Taman Seri Muda have started to recede today, a full week after the residential area was inundated by floods on Dec 18, allowing residents to finally begin the laborious cleaning up process.

Residents were busy cleaning their houses in several residential locations that Bernama checked on today.

Some were cleaning their courtyards while others were washing furniture, and many more were salvaging whatever they could as they went through their belongings and throwing away whatever was damaged.

All who were met, however, expressed their relief that they could finally return home and continue on with their lives, all the while hoping that such a terrible tragedy would not occur again in the future.

A resident of Taman Sri Muda 2, Azli Mohd Yusof, 43, said it was his first time experiencing a flood since living in the area for the past decade, but he was thankful that nothing bad had befallen his family.



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"Alhamdulillah. The situation has improved and our family has been allowed to return home yesterday, after the authorities approved it. We are now rather busy cleaning the house," the father of four said.

L. Banathan, 42, who lives near Jalan Amanah in Taman Sri Muda, was devastated by the floods but was glad that things are slowly returning to normal.

"I only wish that more would help with the cleaning up as there are many piles of debris in the area," he said.

Business owners and their employees were also spotted by Bernama at the commercial centre near Plaza Taman Sri Muda cleaning up their business premises and assessing the damage wrought by the flooding.

The owner of an electronics store, who did not want to be named, expressed his sorrow over the losses he suffered, totalling over RM100,000, as most of his products were damaged in the floods.



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"But what can I do, it's already happened. We (businesses) hope that the government will consider additional incentives to flood victims because it is so hard to survive right now," the 39-year-old said.

Meanwhile, National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) operations director Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said the flood situation in Taman Sri Muda was improving and water has receded in every flood-affected area.

Residents were therefore allowed to return home to clean up their residences but relief centres were still operating until they have completed their clean up, he added.

"Some have settled back in at home but it does depend on the condition of their houses, some are still taking shelter at centres because there is food, treatment and other facilities offered here," he said when contacted by Bernama.

He also said clean up efforts in all affected areas were underway involving personnel from various agencies, including the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA), non-governmental organisations and volunteers.

-- BERNAMA