Gunung Cheroh tragedy survivor recalls emotional trauma
24 Oct 2023 05:24pm
Sivanesan (second from right) is looking at information displayed by the National Archives of Malaysia on the incident during the 50-Year Commemoration of the Gunung Cheroh Rockfall incident.
Joyah Saad, 61, who was nine years old then, said she lost her father and sister, whose remains were buried in the rubble.
"During the incident, it was raining heavily and our house was hit by rocks and large trees. As a result, my father and sister could not be saved, but my mother and I managed to escape.
"For months, I couldn’t stop crying and bring myself to set foot here. This is the first time I’ve come here since the tragedy and it feels very sad,” she told reporters after attending the ceremony to commemorate 50 Years of Gunung Cheroh Landslide here today.
The ceremony was officiated by state Human Resources, Health, Indian Community Affairs and National Integration Committee chairman A. Sivanesan.
The Gunung Cheroh rockfall tragedy occurred on Oct 18, 1973, just one week before the Deepavali celebration. It claimed the lives of approximately 40 residents in the surrounding area.
Meanwhile, Sivanesan, when met by reporters after the ceremony, said the state government would build a memorial monument and a special mini-gallery to commemorate the history of the tragedy.
He said the memorial would involve a cost of RM30,000 to RM40,000, while the construction cost for the mini gallery has yet to be determined.
In a separate development, he said that 14 limestone caves around Perak had not received approval for the construction of houses of worship.
"We (the state government) are waiting for the safety report. Once we obtain the full report, we will grant the approval.
"We want to ensure that the limestone caves are in a safe and controlled condition,” said Sivanesan, who chairs the Limestone Cave Houses of Worship committee. - BERNAMA
