THIS time last year, residents in Taman Sri Muda, Shah Alam and the surrounding areas were left stranded following the massive floods that hit them. As a result, the thought of celebrating Christmas was the last thing on their minds.   

One year later, they are still plagued by fears of a recurrence, in light of the monsoon season this year bringing in more rainfall. 

Speaking to The Malaysian Insight, these Christian residents recalled how bad the situation was and how they are still traumatised by the episode that left them with huge personal losses. 

They said they were better prepared this time and were looking forward to a joyous celebration with family and friends. 

Derrick Anthony Theseira, a 60-year-old man living in Taman Sri Muda, revealed that his family would be celebrating the festival modestly. 

He disclosed that he had scrapped his original plan of going back to his hometown in Penang as he feared losing his home if floods occurred again. 

“It is not just me; you can ask everyone here in Sri Muda. I can bet you all of us are still traumatised. It was a scary incident for all of us, not just for those celebrating Christmas but also for those who are not. 

“We are still recovering. I wish I could go back to Penang, but I fear that if I go back and it rains heavily, my house and belongings will be destroyed. 

“We will stay here and celebrate what we can, on a small scale. At the same time, we are already prepared. Most of our stuff is already upstairs. In case of flood, there is nothing much to worry about,” said Derrick. 

In the floods last year, Derrick lost about RM100,000 worth of belongings. Three of his vehicles, including a brand-new car were badly damaged. 

“During Christmas last year, we were busy cleaning up. There was no celebration,” he said. 

Derrick urged the state government as well as federal administration to address the issue completely to avoid another occurrence of the disaster. 

“Authorities must look at the root cause of the problem other than pointing fingers. The drainage system must be fixed and reconstructed. If not, there is no use,” he said. 

Residents are prepared 

Agreeing with Derrick is Mogen Thanggavelu who said the residents were prepared for any eventuality in the final week of the year. 

“Although things are under control at the moment, we are not taking matters for granted. We have had one bad experience before, and we cannot allow it to happen again. 

“No one can be happy for others if lives are lost. Last year, we couldn’t celebrate Christmas together because lives were lost, homes were gone and we are still trying to cope with it. 

“This time, we are prepared; not to say we are okay with it, but we have learnt. Every time it rains, people here look out for each other; we let our neighbours know if they are not home that it is currently raining,” he added. 

Earlier this week MetMalaysia issued a warning of continuous rain until Monday in six states. 

Severe-level continuous heavy rain is expected to occur in Terengganu, Pahang, Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan. 

Alexander Johnson and his family from Klang is saddened by the Gohtong Jaya landslide tragedy and the floods in Terengganu. 

“Basically, it is much easier compared to last year, but we are on standby in case of anything. We can be with our family and friends now with Covid-19 cases showing a good improvement. 

“But we are also heartbroken with the landslide incident. Although it is not near to us, we still feel the pain of losing someone close,” the 35-year-old said. 

Automotive sales engineer Kevin Martin, 41, from Selangor is excited to celebrate Christmas this year. 

He said that last year’s Christmas was good but not as exciting as this year as he plans to go travelling after the festivities. 

“I will be enjoying a long-awaited Christmas with the wife and family. After that, it’s off for a long-deserved vacation.” 

Christopher Timothy who hails from Klang told The Malaysian Insight that he would go all out to celebrate the occasion but would remain alert for trouble. 

He said he had gotten married earlier this year and admitted to suffering from last year’s floods. 

“It was bad last year. Not just the floods, but during the floods my mother had a heart attack and we had to rush her to the hospital. We had to clean everything up and there was no celebration. 

“This year I got married, got a job in Singapore and I think we will have a joyous time with family and friends. But of course, it is worrying if the rain doesn’t stop. Hopefully, things are much better this year,” he said. 

Tragedy for all 

For Noor Azura Sharil, a Muslim who lives in Taman Sri Muda, the devastating impact of the floods was so great that many of her neighbours are worried about a recurrence.  

She said she had lost everything during the floods last year as she was not home to salvage her belongings. 

“I didn’t see anyone celebrating Christmas last year; I only saw people cleaning up for weeks. It was a tragedy for all of us. 

“We are slowly recovering this time and we are more vigilant. We regularly check the water level; we have kept our things in a safe place and cars are parked on higher ground. 

“All I can say is that as Malaysians, we cannot be happy if others are in sorrow. As for this year, I hope we can enjoy the holidays and at the same time be prepared,” she said. 

It was reported last year that Taman Sri Muda was among the most severely flooded areas in Selangor. 

Thousands of its residents were displaced overnight in one of the worst catastrophes in the state with more than 20 deaths. 

Just four months ago, residents there said they were still far from returning to normal life. They said work to restore their homes was only half-finished, adding that they were struggling financially. 

Unusually heavy rainfall before and over the weekend of December 17-18 last year caused massive flooding in Selangor, Malacca, Negri Sembilan, Perak, and Pahang. 

The floods killed 54 people and displaced more than 70,000. Selangor, especially in Taman Sri Muda and the surrounding areas, was one of the worst-hit states. – December 25, 2022.