Press Statements & Articles

Penang Flood Update

Penang Flood Update
 
On Sunday November 5th, Penang experienced their worst flood after continued overnight downpour over the island and mainland. Over 80% of Penang Island, Butterworth, Seberang Perai, Bukit Mertajam and Kulim were flooded. So far this flood has claimed seven lives.
 
Flood water receded in many areas by Monday. Many roads were covered with slimy-caked muds and drains clogged. Piles of flood-damaged furniture, clothes and mattresses can be seen stacked by the roadside. With the massive cleaning work ahead, residents of on both the island and the mainland have been seen cleaning up but the work seems endless. People are beginning to come to terms with the losses incurred from the flood.
 
Our National Disaster Response (NDR) Network responded as early as the 5th itself upon hearing of the massive flooding taking place in Penang. Our network partners; Crisis Relief and Services Training (CREST), Holistic Integrated Services Berhad (HISTEAM) and Methodist Crisis Relief Development (MCRD) dispatched their teams to Penang to assess the situation and to set up a Local Coordinating Centre (LCC) for the following day’s relief work.
 
At the same time, we contacted the local Penang Ministers’ Fellowship (PMF) to mobilize coordinated relief efforts by our member churches in Penang. A local WhatsApp group chat was immediately created for coordination, communications and alerts purposes.
 
Since then PMF, CREST, HISTEAM, MCRD and many outstation volunteer groups have been working together with clean-up work. They have set up two LCC’s; at Georgetown Baptist Church Larut Road on the island and Bukit Mertajam Gospel Centre in the mainland. Their clean-up activities have been focused on the Zoo Road and Bayan Lepas area on the island and Taman Sri Rambai in Bukit Mertajam.
 
The greatest need at the moment is the clean-up work. Many houses are still covered with mud and roads piled with rubbish. To get on with the clean-up work, we need the following:
 
  1. Team Leaders with experience to lead volunteers in clean-up work,
  2. Volunteers to provide the manpower,
  3. Lorries if possible for the removal of rubbish, and
  4. Prayer
    • i. Good weather
    • ii. Safety of volunteers
    • iii. Good water pressure
 
If you would like to help or get additional information, kindly WhatsApp me at 016-2030561.
 
Sincerely,
 
Rev Andy Chi
Assistant Secretary-General


[ Back ] [ Print Friendly ]