Fire victims still living in tents a year later

Star - A total of 140 families, who were left homeless when fire gutted about 300 houses in Bukit Malut on Feb 20 last year, are still staying in makeshift camps.

Karsum Mustapa, 42, cried when describing how she had to sleep in a tent with two other families.

“We have cooked, eaten and slept on the same spot for more than a year.

Still homeless: Karsum (front) and Habibah doing their chores inside the tent where they cook and sleep and which they describe as hot and unhygienic.

“It is so hot to stay inside the camp in the afternoons. When it rains, water seeps into the tent,” said Karsum.

Karsum, who has six children aged between seven and 22, said it was inhuman for three families to share a tent for such a long time.

“The tents are tattered and the floor boards are broken.

“It is unhygienic to cook and sleep on the same spot. Most of us have skin problems,” said Karsum, who sells kuih to make a living.

Karsum said that despite the hardship she tried very hard to keep her youngest children, aged seven and 12, in school.

Another victim, Mohamad Ali, 40, has no choice but to remain inside the hot tent because he is too sick to walk.

A total of 140 families, who were left homeless when fire gutted about 300 houses in Bukit Malut on Feb 20 last year, are still staying in makeshift camps.

“I am a diabetic,” said the frail Mohamad, who looks much older than his age.

Siti Hawa Mat Daud, 24, said that her five-month-old baby could not stand the heat inside the tent.

“We spend most of our day under the shady tree near our tent,” she said, adding that she too had to share a tent with two other families.

Bukit Malut village head Ali Bakar said 300 longhouses had been built in Kisap, on the other side of the island, for the fire victims but the authorities had yet to give them the green light to move in.

Habibah Musa, 47, said that they were told last year that they could move in before Hari Raya.

“After that we were told we could move in by February, before the general election.

“Now the elections are over, and we are still staying in the dilapidated tents,” she said.