KUALA TAHAN — The great floods of December 2014 have affected the lives of those living by Sungai Tembeling, with many left homeless and without source of income.

The river is a natural water source as well as the main source of income for those living in Taman Negara.

Malay Mail visited Taman Negara via Kuala Tahan to gain an insight on how life has changed for park residents six months after the worst flooding in local history.

Boat operator Hamzah Abdul Hamid, 62, recalled how fast Sungai Tembeling rose on December 24 and how it rained continuously for the day before.

“I have been working here since 1986 and this is the first time I have seen the river level rise by 50 feet (15.24m).”

Hamzah, who is also a member of the Taman Negara Boat Association, said what came after the flood subsided was far worse than the destruction the rivers wrought.

He said when national park announced its closure due to the damage caused by the flood, almost all businesses including shops, tour guides as well as boat operators felt the pinch of not having a stable income.

“The first three months of this year was by far the worst we have ever experienced as we were cut off from all income when the park was closed between December to February this year.”

Hamzah said although the park is opened to tourists throughout the year, on an average, they were able to make a minimum of RM2,000 a month.

“We would usually have enough money to survive through the low season but the flood has caused so much damage.”

He said between January and March this year, he had no source of income even though the park reopened in February.

Hamzah, who has lived near the river for close to 30 years, said the flood had changed the river totally.

“Ninety per cent of the river has changed and the river is not as deep as before because of the sand and mud that was brought by the flood.”

“What used to be a green riverbank is now filled with decaying tree branches or just spots of sand.”

Pointing to signs of damage and erosion on the riverbanks, he said: “Many owners of damaged properties cannot afford to make repairs so they just choose to abandon them.”

Hamzah, upset with the predicament he and his fellow boat operators were going through, questioned how aid had been distributed.

“We only got RM3,000 per person and that was only applicable to those whose houses were damaged but for those who did not suffer any physical damage to their property, the only help we got for the first three months was food.”

He compared this to the aid given to the mountain guides in Kinabalu Park.

“We too rely on tourists as our sole income. So we were taken aback when we read news that financial aid had been given to the guides in Sabah but we were left to fend for ourselves.”