BUSINESS owners in Shah Alam and Hulu Langat may never recover from the losses they suffered in the December 18 weekend of floods.

They told The Malaysian Insight years of hard work were washed away in one day.

Checks in the areas of Selangor hardest hit by the deluge showed shops covered in thick mud after the waters recede.

In Sri Muda, a mechanic who introduced himself as Abang Rahim said he would need more than RM100,000 to fix his shop and replace the equipment and parts that have been swept away.

He said the oil in his shop had mixed with floodwater, making clean-up a challenge.

“As you can see, everything that I have worked for since 2007 is now gone. Motorbikes that I have repaired, secondhand motorcycles that I put up for sale, spare parts must all be replaced,” he said.

The used motorcycles are a write-off after they were damaged by the floods.

Rahim was still cleaning up his workshop on Friday.

“I think I will need more than a week to clean everything, to organise.

“There are only four of us and the process is tiresome. The mud is so thick you need to use all your strength to scoop it up,” he added.

The Johor-born Rahim said no one had come forward to offer help even though he had read that many volunteer groups had come to the aid of flood victims.

“Every shop owner here is cleaning up their shops themselves. No one has come here to help us,” he stated.

‘We have to fend for ourslves’

Forty-seven-year-old Melissa, whose hardware shop is near Rahim’s workshop, said she will need RM300,000 to rebuild her business.

It will take her about a month to restore order in the shop.

“Some items like screws and nuts can be used again but there are lots of other things that cannot be salvaged.

Basically it is a total loss. We will have to start all over again,” she said.

Melissa said she has had to hire people to help her clean up after the floods.

“I have to pay them RM100 a day when I have already also lost hundreds of thousands of ringgit.

“The cleaning is the hardest part. Everything needs to be cleaned. The floor, the racks, PVC pipes, metal pipes, plywood. There are many things.”

Like Rahim, Melissa said no one has volunteered to help.

“I do not know why NGOs are not interested in coming here. Even the food supply has stopped. We have to fend for ourselves,” she said.

Sri Muda was among the most severely flooded areas in Selangor last week.

Thousands of its residents were displaced overnight in one of the worst disasters in the state in decades.

A factory bus driver, who wished to be known as Ramesh, said he will need at least RM30,000 to fix his vehicle, which is his only source of income.

Ramesh’s bus is covered in mud and the engine won’t start.

“Inside it is like a disaster zone. All the seats are damaged. Some window panels are broken. I think the air-conditioning needs an overhaul and so does the engine.

“I estimate the cost to be no less than RM30,000.”

Arasu Velayutham, a convenience store owner in Batu 11 in Balakong, Hulu Langat said he has suffered RM200,000 in losses.

But here, unlike in Sri Muda, there are volunteers helping the residents and business owners with the cleaning.

Arasu said he had never before experienced such a heavy flood in the 20 years he had been doing business in the area.

“The water rose above the roofs of houses and shops here.

“The water came suddenly. It happened about 5am when none of us were in our shops.

“No one managed to get anything out to safety. By the time we came, it was already too late. Now everything is gone,” he said.

He said he heard that the sudden flush of water in the area was due to the release of water from the nearby dam.

Lucikly for him and others in the area, there are many volunteers helping them with the clean-up.

“There is a lot more to do but my shop is almost clean. Volunteers came and helped. Now we need to rearrange and sort out the things that have been washed up,” he said.

Government aid not enough

Business owners told The Malaysian Insight that the RM1,000 government was not enough to get them back on their feet.

“I understand that the RM1,000 is meant for each household but what can RM1,000 do these days?” said Rahim.

Melissa laughed at the government’s idea of financial aid.

“I am not being cynical but they need another approach. It is not enough for those who own a business and it is also not enough for a family.” –  December 27, 2021.