MONSOONS are HERE

  as opposed to "Winter is coming."

  Friends helping Fariz Izuan Ibrahim to move horses from his stable in Kelantan.

The East coast monsoon is  upon us and umbrellas are USELESS. Why? With continuous rain for 48 hours

 or more and daily thunderstorms, nothing keeps us dry except staying indoors. 

Malaysia sees 2 monsoon seasons annually. The north-east monsoon blows in during November to  March onto the east coast of Malaysia.

  13,264 victims evacuated in Chukai Terengganu, 8th January. Flooding is NOT a new Norm during this period, flooding has ALWAYS been the Norm during these months of ruthless rains in the eastern states of Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang.

Chilling in front of his flooded house, Kampung Mencupu Pekan, Pahang. 

Soil movement caused by continuous rain in Taman Gambang Damai resulted in the complete collapse of 2 houses. 

House owner Encik Yunus, 51 was a lucky man as he had moved with his family after noticing cracks in the walls. He only had a few hours to take a refrigerator, washing machine, desk and TV before the collapse. Twenty-six houses were identified to be at risk.

Another landslide in Bentong, Pahang. Schools were not spared with Lan Boey's alma mater, Methodist Girls School 

and SK Jaya Gading in Kuantan in deep waters. 

Evacuation came in different forms

 as people were taken

 to temporary shelters.

A dumper truck used in mines dubbed "King Kong"  was "recruited" to save stranded victims. But "King Kong" conceded defeat after three rescue missions, flood waters damaged its internal "organs."

23-year old Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka student, Rano Razali studies for his online semester 1 exams to be held at the end of January. Indeed, there is no rest for the wicked.

Food is prepared onsite in the evacuation centres. Pix shows our King, Sultan Abdullah and Queen, Tunku Azizah  and their son, Tengku Panglima Muda Tengku Ahmad Ismail (2nd, 3rd and 4th from left) preparing food. Tunku Azizah used her own recipes and together with assistance from the final year students in Diploma in Culinary Arts programme, University College of Yayasan Pahang, prepared food for the 178 evacuees from 43 families.  

Malaysia's PM at one of the many evacuation centres housed in schools.

This 2021, Johor on the West coast 

took a big hit.

Kota Tinggi, Johor

Our second monsoon season, the south-west monsoon blows in around May to October, but onto the west coast instead. During this season, we do not have continuous rains, but the violent thunderstorms arrive punctually around 1600 hours, just when offices are wrapping up for the day. I kid you not, Mother Nature keeps to her time and is seldom late with the rains. During this period, I always begin work early at 6.30am, forfeit my tea breaks and take very quick lunches. It is a mad dash out from the lab when the first peal of thunder rumbles at 4pm. I have to get home safely before the roads turned into molten lava of muddy waters and traffic just stands still. Those caught in these swirling waters reach home at the earliest, past 9pm. The unlucky ones are caught together with flood waters INSIDE their cars. Flash floods 

Cameron Highlands

have become more frequent and severe with… of course, rapid development without efficient drainage systems to handle the torrid downpours. Gentle stream just becomes a violent river.

This is a heavy price we pay for over and uncontrolled development.  

Shoes sold at between RM3 (0.744 USD)and RM5 in Kota Tinggi. Continuous rain for 2 days  caused much damage to goods.

FISHING in the monsoon drain in Taman Kota Jaya, Kota Tinggi, Johor when the Johor River overflowed.

Acknowledgements to The Star newspaper for the pictures, to Boey for the photos of her alma mater and to CW Kee for the cartoon.