Sandakan Fire: Malaysians Rally In Unity Across The South China Sea

SANDAKAN, April 22 (Bernama) -- The spirit of unity and compassion among Malaysians across the South China Sea is evident, with support and assistance from Peninsular Malaysia continuing to pour in for victims of the massive fire tragedy in Kampung Bahagia here.

Mohamad Kadir Abd Jalil, a representative of the non-governmental organisation (NGO) Kebajikan Marhaen Sandakan, said this concern is evident as many of his acquaintances from Peninsular Malaysia have stepped forward or offered to contribute aid.

“One of my contacts acted immediately by reaching out to me to donate 30 tents specifically for the convenience of residents who were severely affected. This reflects our spirit as Malaysians,” he told Bernama.

Last Sunday (April 19), a major fire in the water village of Kampung Bahagia here destroyed about 1,000 homes, affecting an area of more than four hectares.

Mohamad Kadir said that the contribution of tents is urgently needed as some fire victims have chosen not to stay at temporary evacuation centres (PPS), opting instead to spend the night at the site of their destroyed homes.

“The fire victims are sleeping on canvas under the open sky, so on humanitarian grounds, many members of the public are stepping forward to offer the necessary assistance,” he told Bernama.

Better known as Wan among fellow NGO members, he said his team has also been actively distributing food and drinks contributed by various parties since the first day of the incident.

On the first day of the disaster, the NGO delivered 140 cartons of mineral water and 300 packs of bread to victims in the afternoon.

The initiative continued later that same night, when they brought in 300 packs of cooked meals to ensure the victims did not go hungry.

“Yesterday, we delivered more than 1,000 packs of bread and water to the village with the cooperation of several companies, including local restaurant operators,” he added.

The noble effort has also been supported by Restoran Siang-Siang Sandakan, which carried out its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative by preparing meals directly at the disaster site.

A representative of the restaurant, Mohd Adhah Sariffudin, 28, said the decision to cook on-site was made as all the victims had lost their homes and had no cooking facilities.

“This morning, we prepared breakfast consisting of fried noodles, eggs, sausages and hot drinks, bringing along 100 kilogrammes of noodles and 40 trays of eggs to be cooked on-site,” he said, adding that different menus would be prepared for lunch and dinner.

Meanwhile, a representative of a private company, Althomy Jul Tong, 49, was also at the location on behalf of his employer to hand over a contribution of 200 packets of rice as well as food baskets to help ease the burden of those affected.

“This is our contribution to the affected residents, and we hope it will help,” he said.

A check by Bernama also found various parties actively distributing clothing and essentials for children, while Sekong Parti Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) division took the initiative to build 10 temporary toilets to ensure proper sanitation for the victims.

-- BERNAMA