Sandakan water village fire: Victims hope to rebuild lives on original site

 

The major fire tragedy in Kampung Bahagia, Sandakan, yesterday not only took away their shelter but also wiped out the only source of income for Hajijah Abdul Moksin, 47, and other residents in the area.

The woman said she and her nine family members had to flee with nothing but the clothes on their backs when the fire rapidly engulfed their home.

Adding to their heartbreak was her food stall, where she sold grilled fish and putu, a traditional food made from rice flour, glutinous rice flour, or grated tapioca, which was also destroyed, leaving her at a loss on how to sustain her family's livelihood in the future.

"The assistance received so far is indeed sufficient for the short term. However, for the days ahead, I don't know how to start again because the place we relied on for our livelihood has been destroyed," she told Bernama.

Yesterday, a major fire in the water village destroyed around 1,000 houses over an area of more than 4ha, with six temporary relief centres (PPS) opened so far. Following that, Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor announced today an initial aid of RM2,000 to each head of household.

Although filled with worry, Hajijah expressed her gratitude for the efficiency of the state government in providing prompt initial assistance, including cash of RM2,000, food donations, clothing and a comfortable PPS.

However, the prospect of the closure of PPS in the near future is very distressing for her, forcing her to start looking for other alternatives for shelter, such as finding a cheap rented house or temporarily staying at relatives' homes.

Therefore, she earnestly appeals for the government to consider specific assistance to rebuild her home and stall on the original site, as well as to restore basic facilities such as bridges, water supply and electricity.

Hajijah welcomed the good news of gazetting Kampung Bahagia as a proper village and was determined to start a new life in the area, considering her family had been living there for over 40 years.

"This matter (gazetting) was indeed communicated before the fire occurred. So, we are very happy and hope this process can facilitate our efforts to rebuild our lives there," she said.

Hajijah added that the disaster also affected her children's schooling and studies, including a kindergarten student and two Universiti Malaysia Sabah students who were on holiday and now have to attend online classes at the PPS without any proper equipment.

Main hope

The desire to rebuild their homes on the original site has become the main hope for the fire victims in Kampung Bahagia, due to financial constraints that make it difficult for them to rent houses elsewhere.

For Kianle Basari, 40, although he is very grateful to receive emergency assistance along with sufficient food and drink supplies, long-term assistance from the government to rebuild shelter is greatly needed by his six family members.

"Last night, some of us slept at the PPS, while others returned to the fire site to guard their remaining belongings. For now, we will stay at the PPS for a week, and after that, we will have to find another place while hoping for assistance from the government," he said.

He also welcomed the chief minister's announcement regarding the gazetting of the area as a village, which further strengthened their resolve to rebuild their homes on the original site, considering that the residents' lives and sources of livelihood are deeply rooted there.

The same sentiment was echoed by another victim, Ainie Umai Abdullah, 38, who admitted she is still in the phase of trying to accept the shocking fate that has befallen her family, pleading for material support such as tools and construction equipment.

"The financial burden they bear is the main obstacle for victims, most of whom have low incomes, in seeking alternative shelter. If renting a house costs a lot, we really can't afford it," the housewife lamented.

- Bernama