AS WAVE OF FLOODS DEEPEN, SG SERAI SCHOOL RINGS THE BELL FOR A LONG-TERM SOLUTION

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 25 (Bernama) -- The frequency of floods since the beginning of the year has raised serious concern for the residents of Sekolah KAFA Integrasi Kampung Sungai Serai, when yesterday morning's floodwaters was a record chest-deep, making it the school's worst flood of 2025.

Principal Martini Mohamad Saleh, 51, said the school has been hit by floods more than six to seven times so far this year but yesterday's incident reflected that the risk of floods is rising.

She said floodwaters first crept into the drains at around 7 am before rising to ankle level within an hour, eventually submerging the entire school ground by 9 am.

"However, the situation was somewhat a slight relief because classes only start in the afternoon and no students were on the school premises when the water rose rapidly," she told Bernama.

The school, built between 1998 and 1999, accommodates 109 students and seven teachers, but the existing infrastructure can no longer cope with the increasing frequent floods.

Martini said the latest floods caused significant damage to desks, chairs, school supplies and wiring, with mud caking up nearly all the classrooms.

She said the school only has one main building and an adjacent one built by the school as expansion to accommodate more classrooms.

She fervently hopes the government could look into the need to upgrade the school drainage system, build more hardy flood-resistant facilities and install new fire hydrants, besides providing adequate water supply for cleaning work.

“The frequency of these floods has had a major impact on classroom operations and the learning environment. We really need a long-term solution to stay high and dry,” she said.

To assist in post-flood operations, the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) was also deployed to the school area to clear out thick mud.

Commanding officer of Troop 1A FRU Kuala Lumpur, ASP Zasali Yunus said he deployed 50 personnel and a water cannon after receiving cleaning orders at 9 am yesterday.

He said the clean-up operation faced challenges as there was no fire hydrant nearby, which meant that the water cannon had to be refilled, topped up, at a location two kilometres from the school before the clean-up could continue.

Villagers and teachers also helped lift furniture, clear mud and remove damaged items and debris, Martini said, although the school community was used to dealing with floods, the recurring waves of inundation still stirred emotional stress. Hence, in the ebb and flow of floods, the school is ringing the bell for a long-term solution.

-- BERNAMA