KUALA BERANG: The Op Murni operation by the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) today proved to be a blessing for the family of Mad Sudin Mustapa, 63, who just lost his mother earlier in the morning.
His mother, Kalthom Mat, 84, passed away around 9 am due to old age.
Unfortunately, the residence shared by the mother and son in Kampung Bukit Tadok, here, was submerged in floodwaters since yesterday, making it difficult to manage the funeral arrangements for the elderly deceased.
“Alhamdulillah, thanks to God for sending the ATM team to facilitate the funeral arrangements for my mother today. It would have been really tough without them.
“We would have had to rely on villagers who may not have the expertise to navigate the floodwaters while carrying the deceased,“ he said to reporters here today.
Mad Sudin said he immediately agreed to use the military’s assistance after being informed by the village head about the ongoing ATM operation in their village, which was ready to offer help at any time.
The ATM mission by the 18th Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment (Para) from Kem Seri Pantai, Kuala Nerus, was led by Major Shah Hadi Shah Budin.
Together, a team from the battalion responsible for managing the flood situation in the Hulu Terengganu area carried Kalthom’s body down from her home, wading through waist-deep water for almost 100 metres before placing the deceased on a truck.
The body was then taken to Masjid Kampung Bukit Tadok for bathing, shrouding, and funeral prayers before being transported by boat to the cemetery in the same village after the Asar prayers later in the afternoon for burial.
The battalion’s commanding officer, Lt. Colonel Mohd Zaki Jusoh, said that assisting in managing the funeral of the elderly victim was one of their tasks as a team deployed as first responders to help flood victims in the area.
As of 4 pm today, the Terengganu State Disaster Management Committee (JPBNT) reported that 1,067 victims were affected by the fourth wave of flooding in the state, with three evacuation centres still open in the Hulu Terengganu district. – Bernama