Melaka floods: Rescue teams, volunteers, Klebang rep work through the night as floods hit residents

 

MELAKA: A flash flood evacuation mission that stretched for more than 10 hours tested Klebang assemblyman more ways than one — from being bitten by a leech while rescuing stranded residents to pushing stalled vehicles through floodwaters and comforting evacuees forced from their homes on Saturday (July 11).

Datuk Lim Ban Hong who joined the rescue operation from about 12.30pm until 11pm, was bitten on his left leg by an eight-centimetre leech as he waded through waist-deep floodwaters in Taman Rambai Indah here to help evacuate about 250 residents.

The pest was swiftly removed by fellow volunteers, leaving him with a minor bleeding wound before he resumed assisting in the evacuation efforts.

Lim said several low-lying areas in the Klebang constituency had been inundated since the morning after more than six hours of continuous heavy rain, with floodwaters showing little sign of receding by late Saturday night.

"Many residents were caught off guard as the water rose rapidly.

"Our priority was to move children, senior citizens and vulnerable residents to safety while helping motorists whose vehicles became stranded," he said on Sunday (July 12).

"Those affected will be temporarily accommodated at a nearby primary school and a surau until it is safe for them to return home," he said.

He said the evacuation exercise was carried out by personnel from the Fire and Rescue Department, police and the Crisis Relief Squad of MCA (CRSM), with volunteers working tirelessly throughout the day.

Lim said the latest flooding highlighted the urgent need for a permanent solution and pledged to expedite the proposed water retention pond project to reduce the impact of future floods, particularly in low-lying residential areas near the coastline.

Earlier, Melaka Department of Irrigation and Drainage director Mohd Adnan Ahmad Fauzi said the flash floods were triggered by exceptionally heavy rainfall that surpassed levels recorded during Tropical Storm Senyar on Nov 28, 2025.

He said cumulative rainfall exceeding 100mm was recorded in Melaka Tengah and Alor Gajah after more than six hours of continuous downpour beginning at 6am on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Melaka Civil Defence Force director Lt Col (PA) Kamarulsyah Muslim said the state's first temporary relief centre had been opened in Masjid Tanah to accommodate evacuees from Taman Masjid Tanah Ria, Jalan Bandar Baru Masjid Tanah and Kampung Pulau Semut.

"As of 12am on Sunday (July 12), 970 victims from 312 families have been placed at relief centres in Melaka Tengah and Alor Gajah," he said.

Among the areas affected by the floods were Kampung Bandar Kaba, Taman Wan Show Bukit Cina, Kampung Bukit Beruang, Taman Bukit Beruang Utama, Taman Melawis, Taman Seri Jati, Kampung Kandang, Kampung Balai Panjang, Kampung Batu Berendam, Kampung Padang Pokok Mangga, Kampung Bakar Batu, Kampung Batu Hampar, Kampung Pulau Kelapa, Kampung Musa, Kampung Solok Bukit Palah, Kampung Bachang, Kampung Sarang Helang, Kampung Peringgit, Taman Rambai Jaya and Kampung Tanjung Minyak.

 While in Alor Gajah, the affected areas were Taman Masjid Tanah Ria, Jalan Bandar Baru Masjid Tanah Kampung Pulau Semut and Kampung Sri Jeram. - Star