The shelves in Noor Haniza Talib's modest sundry shop in a Kuala Muda village are unusually bare, save for a few bottles of shampoo, glue and cigarettes.

It has been that way since the tsunami last December, which flooded her house and the shop. The water stains on the walls and gaping drawer slots are mute testimony to the horror of the day.

"I did not have time to salvage items from the shop. My first thought was to move my family to a safer location. When I returned home after a few days, my house was a mess and everything in the shop was destroyed. The loss (from the shop) was about RM5,000," said the mother of six.