CHANGLUN, 23 Disember-Penduduk daerah Kubang Pasu menggesa agar Projek Rancangan Tebatan Banjir (RTB) Sungai Temin dan Sungai Bata di daerah berkenaan disiapkan segera.

Menurutnya, RTB tersebut merupakan keperluan yang mendesak berikutan setiap kali berlaku hujan lebat berterusan, beberapa kawasan seperti Changlun, Napoh, Kampung Bata dan Jitra dilanda banjir.

Salah seorang suri rumah, Robiah Ahmad menyifatkan barangan dan alatan perabot rosak akibat banjir yang memenuhi rumah penduduk.

"Banjir hari itu teruk daripada kebiasaan sehingga memasuki rumah. "Banyak barangan dan alatan perabot rosak", jelasnya.

Sementara itu, Ketua UMNO bahagian kubang Pasu, Datuk Aminuddin Omar memohon agar Projek Rancangan Tebatan Banjir dapat disiapkan segera agar kesan susulan akibat banjir dapat diminimumkan.

"Masalah dapat diselesaikan atau sekurang-kurangnya meminimumkan mangsa banjir.

"Kita berharap agar projek tebatan banjir ini dapat disiapkan segera". katanya demikian kepada pemberita selepas menyampaikan sumbangan Pasca Banjir daripada Timbalan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi kepada 100 penduduk yang terlibat di sini.

Daerah Kubang Pasu antara daerah  yang terjejas teruk dalam kejadian banjir baru baru ini selain Kota Setar, Pokok Sena dan Padang Terap.

Jabatan Pengairan dan Saliran (JPS) memulakan kerja darurat di tebing Sungai Kelantan yang runtuh berhampiran sebuah kondominium dan hotel di Jalan Post Office Lama, di sini.

Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) Kota Lama, Dr Hafidzah Mustakim, berkata beliau sudah menghubungi Pengarah JPS Kelantan, Dr Siti Fairus Zakaria memaklumkan kebimbangan orang ramai, terutama penghuni kondominium Pelangi Mall berhubung insiden itu.

“Lokasi kejadian amat hampir dengan bangunan Pelangi Mall yang menggusarkan penduduk dan mereka tertanya-tanya apa langkah seterusnya.

“Saya sudah bercakap dengan Pengarah JPS pagi ini (semalam) dan beliau sahkan satu kerja pelaksanaan kerja darurat untuk memperbaiki atau menahan tebing runtuhan menjadi lebih teruk akan dilaksanakan hari ini mengikut tatakelola.

“Diharapkan kerja darurat itu akan siap secepat mungkin bagi mengurangkan kebimbangan orang ramai, terutama 1,600

penghuni di kondominium Pelangi Mall yang setiap hari hidup dalam kebimbangan sejak hari pertama kejadian runtuhan tebing itu,” katanya pada sidang media di lokasi kejadian, di sini semalam.

Media baru-baru ini melaporkan satu runtuhan sepanjang hampir 50 meter dikesan di tebing Sungai Kelantan yang menyebabkan laluan pejalan kaki dan rekreasi turut runtuh pada ketinggian hampir 10 meter.

Sementara itu, Penolong Pengarah Landskap Majlis Perbandaran Kota Bharu, Muhammad Faizuddin Muhammad Fadzin, berkata pihaknya akan mengeluarkan notis mengosongkan premis perniagaan di sekitar kawasan terbabit dalam masa terdekat.

Beliau berkata, notis pengosongan premis perniagaan akan diserahkan kepada kira-kira 40 peniaga berhampiran lokasi itu bagi tujuan keselamatan.

Selain itu, Pengerusi Persatuan Penduduk Pelangi Mall, Foo Chek Yee, berharap kerja pembaikan tebing runtuh itu dapat dilakukan segera kerana hampir 1,600 penghuni kondominium terbabit bimbang kejadian yang berlaku sebelum ini.

“Kondominium ini sudah beroperasi sejak 15 tahun lalu dan ini kali pertama kejadian runtuhan tebing berlaku, sedikit sebanyak merisaukan kami,” katanya.

On Thursday, it will be 20 years since the deadly Asian tsunami wreaked havoc in countries surrounding the Indian Ocean basin, including Malaysia. A reporter recounts the chaos that ensued near his home in Penang, while survivors and first responders remember a day that was full of tragedy and miracles.

GEORGE TOWN: It has been 20 years, but emergency first responder Ng In Heang (pic) still thinks about the little girl he tried to save in the aftermath of the tsunami.

He was in a Civil Defence Force ambulance when a frantic mother stopped them, screaming for help because her daughter was not breathing. The child, caught in the waves, had been rescued but was unresponsive.

“She could not have been over a year old. I performed CPR on her all the way to the hospital,” Ng recalled. He never learned if she survived.

“Sometimes, I think about her,” he said. Recounting that chaotic day in 2004, when the Boxing Day tsunami devastated the Indian Ocean basin, Ng described how packed his ambulance was.

“Many injured people stopped us, needing transport to the hospital. We eventually had 10 victims on board – some sitting, others standing. Luckily, it was a large ambulance,” said Ng, now 53.

A five-year-old boy, also caught in the waves, had stopped breathing too. Ng successfully revived him with CPR.

“By the end of that day, we made four trips between the hospital and the Batu Ferringhitanjung Bungah area. “The traffic was terrible and even with our sirens, we couldn’t move much.”

He said the ambulance driver took many back roads and shortcuts to get the injured quickly to the hospital. Ng recalled that he and his crew members had initially gone to respond to a car accident.

“Along the coastal road, we noticed the waves looking odd, heading to the shore in a straight white line.” It was only when they reached Tanjung Bungah and Batu Ferringhi that they realised a tsunami had hit Penang.

Ng said there were four personnel including him in the ambulance that day. “One has passed on. When the other two and I meet up, we still talk about the tsunami.”

As for tsunami “miracle baby” S. Thulaashi, who was washed out to sea on a mattress during the first wave and then brought back to shore in the second wave still asleep on her mattress, she is now

studying accounting at Universiti Sains Malaysia. She was 22 days old when the tsunami hit. Her father, A. Suppiah, has been holding thanksgiving prayers by the beach every Dec 26. He also prays for those who did not survive that devastating day.

Thulaashi, however, would not be attending the prayer session this time. “I have exams on that day, so I cannot make it. But I am grateful for the life I have and I am enjoying my student days right now,” said Thulaashi.

KUALA LUMPUR - Jabatan Meteorologi Malaysia (MetMalaysia) hari ini mengeluarkan amaran hujan berterusan tahap buruk di beberapa kawasan di Sarawak, Sabah dan Labuan hingga esok.

Di Sarawak amaran itu melibatkan kawasan Mukah (Mukah), Bintulu, Miri (Subis, Beluru, Miri dan Marudi) dan Limbang manakala di Sabah pula membabitkan Pedalaman (Sipitang, Tenom, Kuala Penyu dan Beaufort). Amaran sama turut melibatkan Labuan.

Bagi hujan berterusan tahap waspada pula, amaran sama turut membabitkan Sarawak melibatkan kawasan Kuching, Serian, Samarahan, Sri Aman, Betong, Sarikei, Sibu, Mukah (Tanjung Manis, Daro, Matu dan Dalat) dan Kapit (Song dan Kapit).

Amaran hujan berterusan tahap waspada turut dikeluarkan di Sabah melibatkan kawasan Pedalaman (Nabawan, Keningau dan Tambunan), Pantai Barat, Sandakan (Telupid, Kinabatangan, Beluran dan Sandakan) dan Kudat.

Sementara itu, Ketua Pengarah MetMalaysia, Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip dalam kenyataan berasingan memaklumkan satu sistem tekanan rendah telah terbentuk di perairan Sarawak semalam. Model-model cuaca menunjukkan intensiti sistem itu berpotensi meningkat menjadi lekukan tropika dalam tempoh 24 hingga 48 jam akan datang.

Beliau berkata, sistem itu dijangka akan bergerak ke utara menuju ke tengah Laut China Selatan dan pada masa sama, luruan monsun yang sedang berlaku dijangka berterusan sehingga 24 Disember ini.