KUALA KRAI, Jan 16 ― Mohamad Idris has not lived in Guchil, a small town here, for years. But when the recent floods struck Kelantan, the 60-year-old stockbroker knew he had to do something for his hometown.

At first, the man fondly known to friends as "Che Mat" helped deliver basic supplies to aid victims. After the floods receded, he then realised that the victims were in need of something much more basic: clean water.

"Without water, even giving rice would be useless. Furthermore, they could not even start to clean their homes... but clean water was scarce, the supply had been cut even one week before the floods hit," Che Mat told Malay Mail Online on Sunday.

What happened next was a story of sheer luck and camaraderie, as Che Mat tapped into the Guchil old boys’ network to bring together an oil and gas firm, a politician, an alumni group and government agencies to deliver clean water to the flood-stricken victims of Kuala Krai.

In typical Malaysian style, it all started during a teh tarik session, when one of the "Guchil Old Boys" with a background in oil and gas, Munir Kasman Abd Hamid, brought up an offer by infrastructure firm Wasco Oilfield Services: to lend a water filtration system used to convert seawater to potable water.

Fast forward a few weeks later and the sight of lorries queueing up in front of a dilapidated building to fill their water tanks from the Kuala Krai Clean Water Project has become a familiar one in Guchil.

 It is estimated that around 1,000 barrels of water is distributed daily from the operation, or roughly 100 cubic metres of water.

Local residents get fresh water in Guchil, Kuala Krai.

The building was formerly a Department of Irrigation and Drainage water treatment plant before it was abandoned decades ago and its fences locked. The request to break the locks open was made easier as a local representative of the Public Works Department is one of the “old boys.”

During our visit to the site, three lorries were queueing up as a Wasco technician clad in rubber boots helped them out. Che Mat, also in boots and a baseball cap on his head, was quietly sitting on the porch of the building as we approached him.

Che Mat said that the plant was chosen as the site for the operation as it was situated directly beside the Durian River, which branched off the bigger Kelantan River.

"At first we wanted to operate from Kelantan River but the Singapore Army had its own water filtration operation there, and it did not last more than a day as the river was too filthy," said the bespectacled Che Mat.

According to the Facebook page of the MRSM Kulim PKP pioneers alumni group, to whom Munir belongs, the water filtration system consisted of two stages.

The first stage used a Diatomaceous Earth Filtration to remove impurities bigger than 10 microns, while the second stage used 110 units of pleated cartridge filters to remove impurities bigger than 2 microns. In comparison, bacteria are between 0.2 and 3 microns, while the diameter of human hair is about 75 microns.

The water also went through a carbon filter to remove any odours. The system allows for chlorine to be added to make the water drinkable, but time constraints prevented this for the Kuala Krai operation, according to Che Mat.

"We have to tell people that the water is only suitable for bathing. We had a banner saying it was drinkable, but we had to take it down," he said. The banner now serves as a mat for them to sit on.

An air compressor pump is used to suck water out of the Durian River into the system.

An air compressor pump is used to suck water out of the Durian River into the system. However, Che Mat also provided another agricultural water pump to deliver unfiltered water straight from the river so locals can use it for cleaning.

But the system did not come cheap. It is understood that an oil and gas infrastructure firm would usually charge hundred of thousands of ringgit per day for the use of the system.

Although Wasco has lent the system for free, the operation still needed to pay for the filters, the diesel to fuel its generator ― roughly 100 litres per day ― and security to prevent theft at night. The team estimated that it would need at least RM50,000 for its one month of operation.

The group found its patron in the state assemblyman for Guchil ― PKR's Mohd Roslan Puteh. Besides footing most of the bill, Roslan also provided staff from his office to guard the operation site.

Transporting the system also was no small task, but made lighter by the PKP alumni group, who ―  through its contacts ― funded a 22-wheeler lorry to ferry the system from Kemaman, Terengganu, where Wasco is based. The police and Road Transport Department also facilitated and escorted the convoy.

Malay Mail Online reported last week that Kuala Krai folks were struggling to rebuild their lives due to the lack of water supply, as some of water supplier Air Kelantan Sdn Bhd’s (AKSB) treatment plants were still being repaired.

Some shop owners have resorted to buying water from strangers, or even travelling up to 30 kilometres away to get water before the Kuala Krai Clean Water Project was established earlier this month.

Due to the massive cost of the operation, Che Mat said the Guchil old boys can only afford to sustain the operation for one month until February 4. Anybody interested to provide further funding for the project can contact him at 012-263 7434.