Woman with newborn son forced to spend confinement at flood relief centre

TELUK INTAN: Alessa Fariza Ahmad Sofian was pregnant when the floods occurred and now during her confinement after childbirth she is experiencing the same flood situation again.

The 31-year-old mother who is still in confinement after delivering her baby on Nov 25 had to seek shelter at a rural clinic nearby her house with her 40-day-old baby boy after her house at Kampung Batu 8, Changkat Jong was inundated with flood water up to the waist, last night.

Alessa Fariza, her husband Md Sharizan Sadon 32, her two boys and 51-year-old mother had to be moved to a temporary evacuation centre at Dewan Majlis Perbandaran Teluk Intan for the second time in less than two months.

"I did not expect the flood would recur and after being placed at the relief centre while being pregnant, I am back here again during my confinement.

"It is tougher this time around, what with a newborn baby. The water yesterday rose so quickly that I only had time to grab my baby's and my eldest child's necessities," she told Bernama at the evacuation centre, here today.

A senior citizen, Rohani Ahmad, 70, whose right leg had been amputated due to diabetes two years ago and lived alone at her house in Kampung Batu 7, Changkat Jong was thankful to be rescued by the Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM) and the villagers was taken to the relief centre.

"I am grateful to the village folks who helped save my electrical goods and furniture as my three children are staying far away," said the wheelchair-bound woman.

As of 5 pm, Hilir Perak district recorded 442 flood victims placed in five relief centres after 12 villages among them Kampung Tanjung Keramat, Kampung SC Ayer Hitam, Kampung Tengah Ayer Hitam, Kampung Sungai Ramai, Kampung Belakang Kedai Degong and Kampung Chikus Langkap were hit by floods.

-- BERNAMA