Fed up with floods, Johor’s Kota Tinggi traders want river deepened
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A hawker cleaning his stall at a food court as the flood waters recede, in Kota Tinggi, Johor, on Sunday.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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KOTA TINGGI, Johor – Owners of businesses affected by the recent floods in Johor’s Kota Tinggi
They said the floods on March 1 marked the second time their businesses were badly affected in 2023. Johor was also inundated by floods in January.
An audio-system shop owner who wanted to be known only as Jackson, 50, said he believed the floods were preventable.
“You can see that the river wall is filled with untrimmed tall grass and rubbish, disrupting water flow and causing floods,” he said.
“How long do we have to live in fear and suffer like this? Please pity the people and do something about this river.”
Jackson said he has been operating in the same location for the past 22 years, but the losses he faces because of flood damage are the biggest this time round.
“Some of the damaged goods are worth RM3,000 (S$900). We did not manage to save some of the items, as we thought that the flood earlier this year was the end of it,” he said.
Cosmetics shop owner Omar Misrat, 53, said he suffered RM5,000 in losses as the water destroyed the wooden furniture in his shop, including the partition walls.
“The shop needs to be repaired, which is impossible right now. I am not sure when to reopen due to the uncertain weather.
“Luckily, I live above my shop, so I managed to save some of the items during the heavy downpour last Wednesday,” he said.
He pointed out that Kota Tinggi town was one of the low-lying areas in the Kota Tinggi district.
“The water came from Sungai Bang, a Johor river tributary. We hope the government can do something like conducting regular clean-ups,” he added.
Restaurant owner Agus Rubianto, 53, said he had to discard some of the damaged furniture in his shop on Sunday.
“When I came to check my restaurant at around 6am, I noticed the water had started to recede, so I called some of my workers to help with the clean-up.
“Some of the wooden furniture had been soaked with flood water for so long that they had started to rot and smell,” he said.
Restaurant owner Agus Rubianto (right) said he had to discard some of the damaged furniture in his shop.
PHOTO: THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Mr Agus, the second-generation owner of the restaurant, which sells ayam penyet (pounded fried chicken) rice, said some of his workers were still stuck in other parts of Johor and could not return to work as the road was still cut off by flood waters.
“We expect to reopen within the next two days, and we hope that our loyal customers will be patient until then,” he said.
Kota Tinggi district officer Hazlina Jalil said her officials have identified 65 spots that are prone to flooding, of which 32 are currently inundated with flood waters.
She said flood mitigation works would be able to solve the issue, and expressed hope that the projects will take off soon.
THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
