Kg Limau Kasturi residents brace for floods ahead of Northeast Monsoon

GUA MUSANG: Residents of Kampung Limau Kasturi here have taken the initiative to repair over 20 raft houses in the village in preparation for the Northeast Monsoon (MTL) season, which is expected to start tomorrow (Nov 11).

Mukim Kampung Limau Kasturi headman Mohd Shaffien Mohmood, 48, said all these raft houses were built to save residents' belongings after the village was affected by the Bah Kuning (yellow flood) tragedy nine years ago.

"Some of the 80 families in the village also built several sheds in a hilly area so that they could move their belongings to higher ground in the event of floods.

"Many of the residents who live along the riverbanks and in low-lying areas are building raft houses to store their belongings if floods occur," he said when met by reporters in the village.

According to him, items like electrical appliances, clothes, and important documents are kept there as the village was prone to flooding if it rained continuously.

One of the residents, Mat Diah Seman, 73, said the cost of building a raft house that can accommodate 20 people using six to 20 plastic barrels is between RM2,000 and RM5,000.

"I pay a resident more than RM3,000 to build and maintain my raft house each year," he said.

"The barrels are tied under the raft house so that they float automatically when the water level rises. But it also needs to be tied to trees to prevent them from being swept away by strong flood currents," he said.

Another resident, Samsiah Mahmad, 68, said the cost of building a raft house has increased due to the rising prices of materials such as plastic barrels, zinc, and wood that can be found in Gua Musang town.

"A carpenter usually charges RM50 to RM80 per day to build a raft house, which takes two weeks or more to complete," she said.

--BERNAMA