Thursday, February 1, 2007

UNIARM FLOOD RELIEF / CHARITY DRIVE BUKIT IBAM

THANK YOU FOR HELPING THE PEOPLE OF BUKIT IBAM !
The response was truly overwhelming with almost RM12,000-00 worth of goods donated. Donations at Alibaba restaurant TTDI KL continued to flow throughout the night of 31 January 2007 and we ended up getting a lorry to transport the donated goods together with a convoy of 24 cars made up of amateur radio members (HAM) and non-HAM alike.
At 9 am Thursday, 1 February 2007, we made our way to Bukit Ibam. With the help of the Ketua Balai from the Balai Polis Bukit Ibam, Sergeant Major Rageli bin Asri, as well as the Ketua Kampung (Tok Empat), En Md Zamri bin Budin arrangements was made to repack the donated goods with assistance from womenfolk so that the items could be equally distributed to flood victims concerned. These ladies worked very hard from 3 pm till midnight to get the job done! By midnight the donated goods were neatly packed ready for distribution the next day.
On Friday, 2 February 2007, each vehicle from the convoy to be assigned a load of donated goods for a particular village, from here the goods were transported to various villages around Bukit Ibam. We convoyed and dropped off donations to several villages i.e. Asrama Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Ibam, Kg Buluh Nipis, Kg Aur, Kg Kemara, Kg Plum, Kg Aur Keladang (detailed info can be found below). From most of the villages we visited, flood watermarks of between 2ft to 5ft were clearly visible. In certain instances, the Titi Gantung (walking bridge for crossing over the river) was severely damaged resulting in a total cutoff for the village communities. By the afternoon, another team was formed to assist in community work and to rebuild bridges for the planned trip on Saturday, 3 February 2007, to Kg Jubar, a remote village located northwest of Bukit Ibam. The team managed to rebuild one of the bridges allowing villagers to access the northern region to the nearest main road. i.e. Route 12.
On Saturday morning of 3 February 2007, our team faced the toughest challenge - “the road to Jubar”. Whilst the weather was on our side, dark clouds were lurking and hovering above us. We prayed hard that it does not rain. Unfortunately, one of the vehicles in the convoy got stuck in the mud but managed to break free without assistance. Had it rained, the track would have been considered “hardcore” as the dirt track was steep and there were many crevices and gullies to maneuver.
Our first stop on Saturday, 3 February 2007, was Kg Langkap Lama. The track conditions were very steep and narrow. The assigned cars veered off into Kg Langkap Lama whilst the main convoy stationed themselves on the main track. After unloading donations and upon rejoining the main convoy, we proceeded to Kg Jubar.
We were happily greeted by the Tok Batin and villagers of Kg Jubar upon our arrival. A lot of happy and relieved faces. The balance of our donated goods were unloaded here. In gratitude, the Tok Batin offered their harvest of giant ubi kayu while En Md Zamri, the Ketua Kampong, presented a plaque to show their appreciation to our team leaders 9W2SBS, En Aiznin and 9W2AXE, En Azhar.
Despite the rough trip we had endured, the effort was well worth it. We would like to thank all HAM members and friends of HAM who have donated, assisted in the charity event as well as those who have sacrificed their time and their own expense to participate in this event. Special thanks also go to the KL crew. We would like to thank HAM friends from Segamat, Bandar Muadzam Shah and PERAMAH (Kuantan) who came to provide support. This effort would not have been possible without all of you!
Finally our special thanks to Land & General Bhd KL Sports Club, The Malaysian Bar Council, FAMA, Kontena National Bhd, Time Engineering Bhd and Bumihiway for their support and generous contributions.
Thank you for “giving help directly to those who need them most !”
Reported by 9W2AXE.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW PHOTOS


CLICK HERE -Information / report on Bukit Ibam villages affected by floods

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