PETALING JAYA, Nov 16 — Patrons of IOI Mall in Puchong expressed their frustration after their vehicles were trapped in rising water following a downpour yesterday.
According to them, the flooding at the open air car park was nothing new.
Nur Izzati Baharin, 28, whose car was half-submerged at the car park yesterday, said she was at the mall with her sister and niece at about 3pm.
“It rained heavily, so we stayed in the mall until the rain stopped,” said the sales promoter who visited the mall for the first time yesterday.
“We were caught unawares. Some people from the management later helped us to move the car. But it couldn’t start as it was filled with water inside, up to the car seats,” she said.
She said the management helped vacuum the water out of the car and advised her to lodge an official report.
“They said the report would enable us to claim from them. They also advised me to park at a different spot next time.”
She said the management should place a notice to restrict patrons from parking at flood-prone areas.
There were at least seven other cars affected by the rising waters, she said.
Nur Izzati contacted mechanic Nor Hakimi Roslan, 21, who helped start the vehicle.
“The car needs a major overhaul. The repairs could cost around RM8,000,” he said.
Mohd Arif Abdul Hadi, 23, said similar incidents had occurred there at least three times in the past two years.
He said the flooded area had a downhill gradient, and is right next to a shallow monsoon drain with no proper barricades in place.
“The mall’s management should rectify the problem,” the executive at a printing company said.
Another frequent visitor, who wished to be known as Eddy, 43, said he felt the money from parking charges should be utilised to improve the outdoor parking.
“We are paying customers who patronise the mall. The least that could be done is to give us peace of mind when parking our cars,” he said.
“The maintenance of the parking area should be looked into. They could convert the open space on the roof into a parking lot.”
The management could not be reached for comment.
The downpour yesterday saw various areas in Puchong flooded. The rain caused a retaining wall at Block B3 Taman Puncak Kinrara to give way and residents fear the situation could get worse.
Other areas in the Klang Valley were also flooded.
Residents in Jalan Taman Seputeh experienced soil erosion following the downpour as they blamed a nearby development project.
Seputeh Residents’ Association committee member Noroz Khan said: “Mud covered my porch when I returned home. This is only the beginning of our problems.”
Noroz said water easily overflowed from the drains at a development project by SP Setia, which he said caused the erosion.
“We have raised this matter during our meetings (with the developers), only to fall on deaf ears.”
Another resident, Vijay Ramesh, 25, said this was the first time he experienced soil erosion in the area.
“I alerted my neighbour when I realised water gushing out of the drains outside our homes,” said the engineer.
“The wall separating the construction site and our neighbourhood collapsed, resulting in water and mud to flow into our homes. Soil eroded, too.”
The residents said they contacted the developers following the incident and were assured their grouses would be looked into.
Malay Mail’s efforts to speak to SP Setia yesterday proved futile.
