The trauma from last year's massive flood has forced the villagers in Kampung Manjor, Karangan in Kuala Krai to build temporary sheds on top of a hill, to prepare themselves for the possibility of another disaster this monsoon season.

The sheds, made of wooden beams, board flooring, and zinc roof, which can accommodate five to 15 people each, will be their temporary shelters while waiting for the impending flood waters to recede.

Bernama found several villagers had also got ready fibreglass boats to evacuate themselves from their houses to the hill area once the flood hits the village, which has about 300 residents.

A villager, Mohammad Samat, 75, said most of the villagers took the initiative to build their own sheds on top of the hill after experiencing the major flood that inundated all the houses in the village last year.

"We make this preparation since early this month when our family members heard news that a major flood would occur again this year. That is why we have bought a boat that can carry five to six people.

"Although it was difficult for us to come up with the money to buy the boat and build a shed for the family, safety is our priority," he told Bernama.

Mohammad, who is a rubber tapper, said the last year's flood was painful because the water level in Sungai Pemberian rose quickly and flooded the villagers' houses, forcing them to run towards the hilly area empty-handed.

"A sum of RM1,500 was spent to build two sheds. We collected the money from our family members, who are mostly rubber tappers like me, in order to prepare all these," he said.

Another villager, Zanuddin Che Mat, 52, said he and his family built four sheds on the hilltop, about one kilometre from his house.

"We built them using wood from the forest and we had to use our own money to buy other materials, like zinc. These four sheds will house 30 members of my family," he said, adding that as a rubber tapper, he could not afford a boat.

Most of the villagers interviewed hoped the government and non-governmental organisations would assist them by providing them with other necessities like food, clothing, and medicines in facing the flood.

- Bernama