Kedah Menteri Besar Tells Baling Flood Victims To Count Their Blessings And Accept Their Fate

By Lara Kramer  •  04 Aug 2022 in News

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Over 800 houses in 12 villages were inundated during the July 4 incident that was deemed the worst flood ever documented in Kupang, allegedly caused by a water surge that originated upstream on Gunung Inas.

Strong currents wiped away 17 houses, significantly damaged 18 others, and left over 700 with minor damage. A woman, her 14-year-old son, and her pregnant daughter-in-law were also killed when their house in Kampung Iboi was destroyed.

Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, is set to table the complete report on the Baling floods incident in Parliament later today.

Meanwhile, Menteri Besar of Kedah, Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor has urged flood victims in Kupang to embrace their fate with open hearts and be thankful for the various other blessings bestowed upon them.

Sanusi deemed the disaster God’s will, pointing out that even advanced countries were incapable of averting floods.

“Aside from doing our best to assist flood victims in moving on with their lives, we can only request them to accept it as their destiny, and to be appreciative towards the other blessings Allah has granted them.

“We were selected to endure this trial, and He has chosen us to be His servants.

“If we redha (accept it with an open attitude) and be patient, we will see that there are blessings behind every plight,” Sanusi said yesterday at the dedication ceremony for a project to construct 12 houses for the July 4 floods at Desa Keda Sadek in Kupang, as reported by NST.

Subsequently, at a media briefing, Sanusi advised the general public to pray for the state’s protection from future floods.

“Now all we can do is pray. That is all that can be done until the government’s flood control initiatives in Baling are finished,” he said, noting that the construction contract for the 12 affected families will be accomplished by the end of the year.

He mentioned that the project was established on 0.85 ha (hectare of land), and was conducted by Kynetics Land Sdn Bhd, a division of Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri Kedah (PKNK), at a price of somewhere between RM70,000 and RM75,000 per unit.

“The 750-square-foot single-story detached residences have three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, and a living hall.

“The state government has covered the rental fees for the 12 families for six months. We aim to finish the project by then,” he said.

According to Sanusi, the venture is being financially supported by the state government, with assistance from the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council and charitable contributions obtained through the Kedah Care Fund.

He also stated that Baling District Officer Mohd Shahdan Abdullah had discovered several plots of land for additional flood relief housing developments within the area.

“The District Office has identified 16 more families residing close to the Sungai Kupang riverbank who will need to be resettled afterward for safety purposes.

“This is consistent with the Raja Muda of Kedah’s prior request for folks living in high risk areas along the riverbank and nearby to be moved to ensure their own wellbeing,” he explained.