PETALING JAYA: Residents of Kampung Jawa Yan said their concerns of flash floods in their village have been alleviated following the construction of a sabo dam at Gunung Jerai in Kedah.

Basyiratunnur, 23, who stays 2.4km from the dam with five family members, was one of many affected by the flash flood in 2021.

“My grandmother Saniah, 75, father Ahmad Nasir, 53, mother Farihah, 50, two younger siblings Busyra, 17, and Aisyah, seven, and I were in the house when the flash flood happened. It was a bad day for us.”

She said the flood happened in the late evening as it had been raining heavily since morning.

“At 3pm, I was in an online class and heard a loud and weird sound. When I looked outside, water had risen to the side of the house.

“My house is a bit elevated, so the water did not enter initially. However, the mud around the house was almost knee high.”

She said the water level reached the kitchen but thankfully, her family managed to move the furniture to a higher level.

“Alhamdulillah, the damage to my house was not much because my family and I managed to move the items in the kitchen area.”

She said they are relieved with the completion of the project as there has since been no more flooding in the area.

Siti Hajar, 26, who volunteered in a three day programme organised by the Ad Diniah Volunteer Organisation to help the flash flood victims, said there was a lot of damage due to the mud.

“Furniture, doors, electrical items, mattresses and gas stoves were damaged.”

She said the flash flood impact was terrible and several houses had thick mud covering the floors.

During the cleanup, she helped separate things that needed to be thrown away and washed soiled dishes.

She also prepared equipment to be used when cleaning the houses of residents.

Siti Hajar said many family members came to help the cleaning and debris clearing process.

Although locals are relieved with the completion of the two sabo dams in Titi Hayun and Merbok in the neighbouring Kuala Muda district, the memory of the disaster remains.

Basyirah and her family expressed gratitude at the completion of the project as it eases their anxiety every time it rains at the peak of Gunung Jerai.

She said since the completion of the sabo dam, she has not seen the river overflow during heavy rain.

The sabo dams are the first ever constructed in Malaysia and were built at a cost of RM22.8 million, following the water surge disaster in Gunung Jerai on Aug 18, 2021.

Six people were killed and over 2,000 houses and business premises were damaged in the incident, that was the worst tragedy recorded in Gunung Jerai.