10-year wait for new homes finally comes true this Raya Haji
NOR AZURA MD AMIN
PONTIAN - After 10 years of waiting, 149 flood stricken residents from three villages have finally received the keys to their new homes on Sunday
The villages are Kampung Nelayan, Kampung Sri Tanjung, and Kampung Sungai Sanglang.
Chief Minister Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi handed over the keys to the semi-detached houses worth RM150,000 at Taman Datuk Hajjah Fatimah's Benut Multipurpose Hall.
Last year, several areas in the Pontian district, including Pekan Kukup and Tanjung Piai National Park, were flooded due to a high tide phenomenon.
Mardiah Ambok Loh, 64, and her husband, Hamid Kasim, 75, are grateful that their dream of receiving a new house after living in an old house in Kampung Sri Tanjung for more than 30 years has finally come true.
"Our old house rotted as a result of frequent flooding caused by the high tide phenomenon. Our family is currently staying at our relatives house in Taman Sri Mahkota, Benut.
"I got a new house unexpectedly before Aidiladha.
My husband, who is now in a wheelchair due to nerve pain, is overjoyed to be able to relocate to a more comfortable house with three children and grandchildren," she said in joy.
Daim Kamdar, 60, and his three daughters and wife are eager to relocate to a new home in preparation for the Hajj vacation.
"I've been a resident of Kampung Sri Tanjung since I was a child. I am saddened by the fact that I will be leaving the home where my children and I grew up.
"I only work as a bus driver, thank God. The government has helped us a lot as a family, and the villagers here have a new, more comfortable home," he added.
Another resident, Zaiton Ismail, 43, was unable to express her emotions because she was too excited to visit her new home with her siblings and her mother, Junaidah Bahrom, 63.
"Due to leg pain, my mother is unable to collect the keys to the house. My mother and five siblings are now staying with me.
"This new and more comfortable home is a gift for mom, and we can't wait to move in and celebrate the Hajj there," he explained.
