Heart-wrenching to see home wrecked - Disabled flood victim

TUMPAT: Zauyah Deraman, 36, hopes for nothing less than a miraculous solution from the government to stem the 'yellow wave' of flood and despair that swamps the states on the East Coast every year, especially Kelantan.

Zauyah, who is physically disabled (PWD), said she can't bear it anymore to see her house damaged and personal belongings thrown away with every cycle of muddy waters.

"People not affected by floods don't know how we feel as victims every year. It is heart-breaking to see everything soaked beyond repair. Every year we have to buy new things," said Zauyah at her home in Kampung Ana here today.

Zauyah, who lives with her mother Fatimah Yusof who is a frail 74, said the flood this time was the worst ever where the rising waters in the house reached up to 0.7 metres.

She said floodwaters started pouring into her house since Monday afternoon and rose sharply towards nightfall, causing her to immediately seek out a friend to help move the furniture to a higher place.

"We thought it was safely perched but the flood this time was higher than the last time in March," she said

The yellow wave forced her and her mother to take shelter at the temporary evacuation centre (PPS) of SMK Chabang Empat for six days since last Monday and only returned home two days ago.

"Reaching home, I was shocked to see the mess with the furniture still standing in water. And aghast to see the damaged walls and the rotten floor after being submerged in water for so long," she said.

Adding to the grief of Zauyah, who is disabled in both arms and legs, the washing machine and refrigerator were also damaged.

"In my condition with a sickly mother, it is impossible for us to wash clothes by hand," she bemoaned the obvious.

And the obvious is, the youngest of the seven siblings would welcome any kind soul to donate a new washing machine.

For immediate respite, she was grateful that a Good Samaritan came forward to wash her house yesterday.

"If there is no one to clean it, we will have little choice but to sleep with the slime," she said, while taking pains to explain that her other siblings reside outside Kelantan and some were also not spared the annual tide of flood and despair.

-- BERNAMA