IPOH: Five luxury cars owned by a businessman were damaged when his property in Arena Kepayang Putra, Fair Park here, was inundated by floodwaters over a metre high yesterday. Datuk Amaluddin Mohamed Ismail, 63, said his Porsche, Mercedes, BMW, Volvo, and Toyota Alphard could not be saved as the water rose rapidly.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Amaluddin explained that his family initially did not feel threatened by the rising waters, as floods in their 28-year residency typically only reached knee level. However, the situation escalated quickly, as the water surged from ankle-deep to over a metre within an hour by 10:30 am, leaving no time to save the vehicles.

The flood, described as the worst in 30 years, affected hundreds of residents after continuous rain caused Sungai Kinta to overflow. Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming stated that an investigation would be conducted to determine the cause, and measures would be implemented to prevent future occurrences. Beyond the damage to his v
ehicles, Amaluddin also reported losses of household appliances and furniture, urging collaboration from local authorities, particularly the Ipoh City Council (MBI), to prevent similar incidents.

Another resident, Muhammad Noor Azwan, 34, recounted his losses totaling over RM50,000, which included four motorcycles, electrical appliances, and furniture. Despite the financial impact, he expressed relief that his eight family members remained unscathed. They were evacuated to the temporary relief centre (PPS) at Dewan Dato’ Azumu Tak, Kampung Kepayang Mosque.

Meanwhile, A. Subramaniam, 65, estimated a three to four-day effort to clean the mud left by the flood, which damaged homes and belongings. He acknowledged the support from agencies assisting in relocation efforts to PPS and road clearing, which has somewhat alleviated the burden on affected families in the neighborhood.