KAJANG, Dec 22 — Shop owners and residents in Kajang are becoming increasingly frustrated over recent floods, particularly Saturday’s flash floods which resulted in destruction, financial loss and sparked fears among local folk of more such incidents to come.

Long-time shoe shop owner Lee Tee Khoon, 62, who has been based there for a decade, said it was high time the state looked into what was causing the floods.

“Why aren’t the authorities doing anything to solve the problem in the long run?” he said.

“If they are doing something about this, the floods won’t be happening all the time.”

Malay Mail found the town in shambles yesterday, with rubbish, mud and dirt left over from the floods the day before.

Part of the road next to Sungai Jelok had been damaged, with a protective barrier and lamp post uprooted.

When he heard about the floods, Lee immediately rushed back to his shop from an appointment.

“By the time I got back, the water had entered my shop and was already 10 inches deep,” he said.

“I lost all the shoes on the first rack. Everything on the floor had to be thrown away.

“My first experience was a few years back and I had to spend a few thousand ringgit just to replace my carpet.

“I also lost three vacuum cleaners after they overheated while I was cleaning the shop.”

Lee said the local drainage system was so bad that water would overflow on to the roads.

This was confirmed by the Malay Mail team which found at least three drains filled with mud and stagnant water.

“I lost everything,” said florist Kali Santanam, 51.

Kali, who operates at the local market, said she had placed her goods in a shed nearby when she closed shop as usual at 2pm.

“After the floods, I quickly rushed back to the shed,” she said.

“My fears were confirmed when I discovered my goods had been carried away by the flood waters.”

In front of one of the local banks, CPUs were laid on sacks of sand to dry, while a security guard stood watch with a roll of tissue paper in hand.

“The ATMs have not been tested yet but we are not allowing the public to use them until the technical staff have completed their checks,” he said.

Din Bahar, 54, said flood incidents were becoming increasingly common in the town.

“Floods have occurred three or four times this year,” he said.

“The authorities only take our money but do not think about improving the livelihood of the people.”

Diana Moktaruddin, 36, said she locked herself at home for the day when she heard about the floods on Facebook.

“I was afraid something would happen to me. What if I was trapped in my car during the floods?” she said.

“This is the second time we have seen a flood this month.”

Kajang municipal council corporate communications and public relations officer Kamarul Izlan Sulaiman said water had entered an estimated 50 shops and the total damage had yet to be ascertained.

“Cleaning and piping work was carried out overnight and completed at 1am,” he said.

Council workers were now conducting checks along the local drainage system to see if there were any choke points stifling the flow of water.