Belated greetings for 2022. May the new year bring us better life ahead despite the on-going COVID-19 pandemic. We had gone through the Movement Control Order (MCO) on 18 March 2020, experiencing total lockdown, alas, we have survived.
The MCO impacted many companies adversely causing their operations to cease. Many people have lost their jobs while many shop lots have been vacated.
Then, just as we are beginning to breathe a sigh of relief when the stagnant economic sector gradually recovers after so long when suddenly, on 18 and 19 December, we were hit by devastating floods in several states such as Pahang, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Perak, Negeri Sembilan. In Selangor, the hard hit places were Klang, Shah Alam, Sepang, and Hulu Langat.
Indeed, photos and videos of the floods that went viral on the social media were heart wrenching. Some were stuck on the roofs of houses in the cold and night for several days. Some were stranded on the Federal Highway and had to sleep in their cars. A video with the cries of a baby who might be hungry for milk just teared up many.
It has been reported that more than 50,000 cars were submerged in the floods from the mentioned states, especially Selangor and Pahang. Over the past weeks, the issue that has been on many a mind is car loan instalments, which have thankfully been resolved by banks.
Indeed, those with only one vehicle to commute to work are certainly facing a big problem. Similarly, houses that were flooded with mud and silt. Some homes were demolished, while others with furniture sunk and electrical appliances, documents, gadgets, and others destroyed in the blink of an eye.
Damaged roads had to be closed or diverted, and this had caused unusual traffic congestion. The damaged roads, of course, take time to repair. During the calamity, thieves broke into grocery stores as seen by one store’s CCTV cameras. Fortunately, the police managed to apprehend the looters. Garbage too posed a big problem to be dealt with in months to come. Sadly, many lives were lost in the flood.
The Ministry of Health has found an increase in Covid-19 cases due to standard operating procedures (SOPs) cannot entirely be adhered to while rescuing flood victims. Director-General of Health, Tan Sri Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah said the safety of every individual involved in the flood disaster was paramount. However, he said all individuals involved, whether flood victims, volunteers, or rescuers, were expected to comply with the SOP as best as possible. (Utusan Malaysia 20/12/2021)
As a consequence of the tragedy, several points can be learnt namely:-
First, our flood management system. The Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (SMART) has played a brilliant role as it had managed to divert 5 million cubic meters of water. Building the SMART Tunnel was inspired by Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad in 2001 and became fully operational in 2007. The SMART tunnel was able to divert five million cubic meters of water from Sungai Klang and Sungai Ampang to the Taman Desa Reservoir to prevent significant floods in Kuala Lumpur. Despite three million cubic meters being its maximum capacity, Kuala Lumpur will likely sink and bring worse catastrophes if water cannot divert to the reservoir. Indeed, CNN has ranked the Malaysia SMART Tunnel as one of the top 10 world’s most excellent tunnels.
Secondly, the short and long-term effects of the flood on financial constraints. This effect is mainly felt by those who do not have savings. They depend on the salary they receive each month. Those who run their own businesses on a small scale should be advised not to financially.
Thirdly, the tragedy has shown how Malaysians among the different races and religions rallied together to render help. Netizens use the hashtag #rakyat jaga rakyat. The spirit of helping others is evident when disaster strikes. For example, Kuan Chee Heng, also known as Uncle Potato, shared his feelings on the social media while relentlessly helping the flood victims. Uncle Potato and the Fire and Rescue Department personnel helped rescue flood victims and sent them to the Putrajaya Hospital. In addition, Uncle Potato also bought drones, boats and set up an aid collection centre for flood victims. Another viral news about how a 29-year-old man named Azwan Omar drove his Perodua Viva with a rubber boat atop from Melaka to Taman Sri Muda, the worst affected area in Selangor. Among those he rescued were an elderly couple, a paralysed husband, a mother with a new born baby and two dogs. Another village hero as mentioned on Facebook by Anthony Loke Siew Fook Facebook is Rosmadi Arif, who saved about 70 flood victims, from Kampung Prom and Kampung Esok, in Chennai village, Negeri Sembilan. The Sikh community from Gurudwara Sahib Petaling Jaya provided free vegetarian food to flood victims around the Klang Valley. According to Twitter @SikhInside, volunteers had almost 150 kilogrammes of rice cooked. Indeed, Malaysians from different races and religions had worked together to give relief in the flood.
A professor in geology once said that when a flood occurs, firstly, look at the coluor of the flood water. If it is clear, it means the water is from rainwater and does not have an element of environmental damage. Flooding occurs when the amount of rainwater that fall in large numbers could not be drained-out immediately, or input was higher than output.
However, if the colour of the flood water is like milk tea, it can be associated with elements of natural destruction. The rainwater that falls will transport along soil or mud. The roots of the tree hold the ground, and these roots will act as a sponge when it rains heavily, but when forests are cleared, trees uprooted, then the soil is no longer held by the tree roots; hence, when it rains heavily, the dirt and mud will flow everywhere including into houses, drains and rivers. Hence, the question that plays in one’s mind is, where did the soil come from this time and end up turning into mud?
From the Islamic perspective, something happens due to human hands. Surah Al-Ruum verse 41 states, “Mischief has appeared on land and sea because of (the deed) that the hand of men have earned, that (God) may give them a taste of some of their deeds. In order that they may turn back (from evil)”. So, whose hand is that?