Light The World Campaign Steers Malaysia Saints to Serve and Uplift Flood Victims in Klang Valley, Malaysia

Untuk membaca ini dalam bahasa Melayu, sila klik sini.

(For Non-Muslim Use Only)

Two days before Christmas, on the 23^rd and 24^th of December, Malaysia Latter-day Saints from the Kuala Lumpur District of West Malaysia busied themselves to organize a food donation drive for flood victims in Klang, Selangor. Donations from the branches were sent to Puchong Branch. The next day, the goods were transported to a relief and distribution center in Klang. At the center members spent the day volunteering. They helped load trucks and also visited areas, homes and families affected by the floods.

“Generous donations came from Church members in less than 24 hours,” expressed Michael Tamilarason, a Church member who assisted in organizing the food donation drive for the District. “This is a remarkable achievement to witness members reaching out to victims of the Klang Valley flood within a short notice period.”.

He further commented, “The Klang constituency representative and opinion leader Mr Charles Santiago was very pleased not only to receive generous donations of food and necessities from members of the Church, but also manpower to help load trucks that would distribute donations. In his Twitter message, Mr Santiago extended his appreciation to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for a big-hearted contribution and to its members who volunteered at his Klang relief and distribution center.”

Donations of non-perishable food, cleaning equipment, baby diapers, toiletries, first aid kits, and other life-sustaining necessities were contributed by branch members from the District. They imparted their personal resources to help ease the lives of many victims who were unbearably affected.

“Many areas that were severely inundated with rising water brought great fear among residents of townships and villages in Klang and Shah Alam,” said Perumal Nagapushnam, a member of the District’s organizing committee for the food donation. “The lives of young and old were at risk. Access to these areas were almost impossible due to continuous rainfall and fast-rising water. Drones had to be used to assess the situation and also to deliver food to people stranded on rooftops or on the upper deck of their houses.”

In Southeast Asia, the monsoon season in the months of November and December is a time when communities brace for torrential rains, belting winds, and flooding. This year in West Malaysia, however, the unusual and unceasing downpour over a few weeks caused unprecedented complications that led to severe flooding in numerous areas. Klang and Shah Alam townships and nearby villages were adversely affected. Countless homes and people were either displaced from or trapped in their homes leaving them without food, fresh water and electricity.

“The post-flood condition of homes and the environment was unimaginable. Seeing photos and videos on various media channels does no justice to experiencing the actual site of a flood devastation. Houses were emptied of everything. Some houses were almost unlivable. Banana trees were covered in mud. Streets were strewn with rotting furniture, mattresses and household items. There was not a chicken or duck seen in these villages,” stated Angelina Chong, one of the volunteers.

Although it will take months for residents and villagers to recover from the extensive damage caused by the monsoon floods, the charitable deeds contributed by members of the Church from the Kuala Lumpur Malaysia District and of many others would have had a far-reaching impact on the lives of thousands in their moments of distress and fear. The immediate response by Latter-day Saints to hasten the work and accomplish the collection and distribution of donations in less than 30 hours was a miraculous feat.

The Kuala Lumpur Malaysia District presidency and Branch leaders were very pleased with the generous contributions of Church members and dedication of volunteers. The urgent call to serve and uplift the lives of flood victims in distress was seen to wholeheartedly.

Indeed, the year 2021 concluded nobly for the members of the Kuala Lumpur Malaysia District of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.