Bekok residents return home after post-flood clean-up

SEGAMAT - Residents around Kampung Bekok here have begun returning to their homes since yesterday to begin post-flood clean-up after floodwaters receded on Wednesday.

Resident Jamilah Abdul Wahab, 62, who lives in Rumah Rakyat Bekok said she was finally allowed to return home after spending four days at the relief centre at Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Bekok since Wednesday.

"When Sungai Bekok broke its banks Wednesday morning, I was alone and managed to move my car and salvage my important documents.

"Although the clean-up is ongoing, we residents are still wary of floods hitting for a second time as there still is rainy weather currently, we’re afraid of it happening again,” she told Bernama when met today.

She said her home was around 200 metres from Sungai Bekok and the water level was still rather high currently.

Fellow resident Yap Ye Yui, 50, said they were going slow with the clean-up efforts as they were worried of floods hitting again as it was still raining in the area.

Her house, located 100 metres from Sungai Bekok, was in a badly hit area, with floodwaters rising to the thigh on Wednesday.

"My father-in-law stays in this house and I rarely come back here. When it flooded, no one was home and everything couldn’t be saved,” she said, estimating losses to be in the thousands of ringgit.

Checks by Bernama at Rumah Rakyat Bekok here, which was one of the worst hit areas, revealed that residents were cleaning their houses and many damaged items, including appliances and furniture, were placed outside.

A bridge that is used as a shortcut by residents to access Jalan Chan Wing Estet-Paloh and Kluang, Johor was also closed due to flood damage.- BERNAMA