Residents of Kampung Seri Serdang Baru in Tampoi now have their own rescue boat and flood equipment. The equipment is ready to move bedridden, elderly and other vulnerable residents to safety in the first hours of a flood, as the village prepares for the 2026/2027 Northeast Monsoon.
The equipment was handed over during a Community-Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) programme organised by Iskandar Malaysia Social Hero Award (IMSHA) winner, Pertubuhan Ihsan Johor (PIJ) with Johor Plantations Group Berhad (JPG) on 24 August 2026. Forty-nine JPG employees joined residents and community leaders for the five-hour programme, supported by the village’s Jawatankuasa Pembangunan dan Keselamatan Kampung (JPKK) and Kawasan Rukun Tetangga (KRT).
The village was one of 27 locations across the Majlis Bandaraya Johor Bahru (MBJB) area inundated in March 2025, when more than 150 mm of rain fell over two days, coinciding with a three-metre-high tide and pushing Sungai Skudai past its danger level. According to MBJB, the flooding was among the worst experienced in Johor Bahru in more than 30 years. Johor Bahru district recorded 5,402 flood victims at temporary relief centres as of 8.00 a.m. on 22 March 2025. For families in the village, the floodwaters arrived less than two weeks before Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
Zaini bin Sinong, a representative of Kampung Seri Serdang Baru, said, “When it rains heavily here, the water usually reaches our knees and drains away within three hours. That time it rained without stopping for 48 hours, and the water went past the roof. During the flood, one of our residents who had diabetes was rescued late and had to undergo a leg amputation after spending too long in the floodwater. With our own boat, we can move bedridden patients and those most at risk of infection out first, while we wait for the agencies to arrive.”
The equipment handed over by JPG comprises a rescue boat, paddles, life jackets, throw ropes, floating bags and other flotation equipment. It will be held by PIJ for use in an emergency. The equipment is intended to support early evacuation before rescue agencies arrive, not to replace them.
Pertubuhan Ihsan Johor Chief Executive Officer, Farrah Faridah Baptist, said:
“During a flood, the first few hours can make a critical difference, particularly for bedridden patients, elderly residents and families who cannot move quickly. We have seen through the past flood deployments and how difficult evacuation becomes when communities have no suitable equipment of their own. Having a boat and basic rescue equipment in the village gives residents an immediate option to move vulnerable people to safer ground while waiting for assistance from official agencies.”
Volunteers and residents cleared nearly eight tonnes (7,913.2kg) of waste from village drains, riverbanks and surrounding areas to keep drainage clear ahead of the monsoon. This total includes a follow-up collection using roll-on, roll-off (RoRo) containers over the following week.
Participants also prepared and released 700 mudballs into the local river as part of efforts to raise awareness of river and drainage conditions.
The programme recorded 245 volunteer hours and supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), 13 (Climate Action) and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). It concluded with the presentation of certificates of appreciation to volunteers and community representatives.
