"The 4th Time This Year" — Taman Sri Muda Resident Shares Plight Of Living With Floods

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In an Instagram post published on Monday, 20 December, Kevin Lim said he has been a resident of Taman Sri Muda for the past 28 years and his house has always been a victim of floods.

Lim's first encounter with the disaster was when he was a baby in 1995. At that time, he had to be carried by his uncle because the water had risen to the waist level.

"26 years later, the same thing happened. But worse. [The] floods reached almost 10ft," he wrote in the seven-image post.

"In 2021, floods appeared more frequently. It's the fourth time this year and it's the worst."

His family was prepared for the impending floods.

Thus, they started sticking planks at the gate to prevent water from flowing into the house. But they thought it would only be one of those "mini" floods again.

"Little did we know, the next day, 18 December, it was still raining like there's no tomorrow," Lim recounted.

"The water [had] reached ankle level. So my brother [and I] went to park all three of our cars [on] higher ground leaving one extra car for us just in case the water level [rose] higher."

In the duration of relocating their cars, the water had risen at a worrying pace. Lim said his family began to move things from the ground floor to the first floor.

"Approximately four to five hours later of moving, the water [had] reached [hip] level," he continued.

"We wanted to stay in the house for the night to monitor the situation and we didn't expect it would get any higher than hips level (sic) as it didn't for the past 26 years."

They were told by their automated gate supplier that it was dangerous to stay at home as there was a high chance of a short circuit.

So, they packed their bags with clothes, power banks, chargers, a torchlight, and a few sticks to guide them as they walked to a safe location.

At this point, Lim stressed that the power had already been cut in the area.

"We went out from the house and the road was pitch black," he recollected.

"My mom cried as she saw her beloved plants that she has been taking care [of] for years started to float away."

The water had risen to their chest level as they waded out of their house. 

"'Why is this happening now,' I asked myself, and we [could] only depend on sticks to feel the ground and guide us so that we [wouldn't] fall into the drains."

"One of our cars was parked nearby and the water has already reached more than half of the tyres. We couldn't drive because the water level was already above tyres and I guess it's goodbye."

Lim and his family waded through floodwaters for over an hour to get to safety.

Lim said the rain kept pouring and the electricity and phone line were cut off. They were left in the house without anything.

He also expressed his worry for the families who live in the single-storey houses in Seksyen 25.

The next morning on Sunday, 19 December, Lim and his family went to check on their house and they saw fallen trees on the roads.

"At this point, nothing can be done to save the ground floor of our home," he said, adding that the water level had risen higher.

By 9am, the water still had not subsided. But Lim said he saw the Malaysian army had arrived at the scene to carry out rescue missions.

"At this point, it's just a waiting game for the water to subside," he wrote.

"Parents [were] still worried about the house as it's the last asset we have. We have no insurance for anything, as most of the money was used to survive the pandemic. Nothing can be done. All is gone."

"We had plenty of time to bond and try to encourage each other to be more positive as there were no electricity and phone line," he said.

"But, deep down we all know that we have to start from zero again. A house that we built together for almost 30 years is now gone."

On Monday, they woke up to bad news, learning that some of their neighbours were stranded in their inundated houses.

Lim was told that one child drowned while they were being rescued, as well as more dead bodies were found.

"Thank you, Syed Saddiq, for actually being here in the field [and] saving lives. Truly a hero. You have my vote. Also, seeing rakyats (sic) distributing food to flood victims that just got saved. Thank you, everyone," Lim said.

"Dear Taman Sri Muda-ians, I hope you stay strong, and we will get through this together. My deepest condolences to the victims who passed away."

Lim also questioned what the government is doing for flood victims besides giving a one-off RM1,000 payout.

He also wondered what would happen to Taman Sri Muda in the coming 10 to 20 years.

Many netizens sent their prayers to Lim and his family. They also thanked him for sharing his experience.

You can read the full post below:

Lim told SAYS that he would really appreciate if members of the public can help his family with some monetary assistance to repair their house.

You can help him out by donating to:
Kevin Lim Kien Fong
6474014032 (Public Bank)

You can find more information in Lim's latest post here or reach out to him at +6012-3362523.