KUANTAN, Jan 9 — A mission to distribute flood aid by Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah here today turned out to be most fortunate for the family of a child with a hole-in-heart condition when the convoy stopped near their home.
Muhammad Faqish Aryan Khairy Aswan’s mother, Nurulsyaza A Ghani, 29, said she had seen from a distance a row of cars that stopped about 200 metres from her house in Kampung Bukit Rangin here, and thought it was a group sending aid because the area was flooded last Monday.
“Someone called out a greeting and when I looked out it was YB (Member of Parliament) Indera Mahkota (Saifuddin). He asked about the flood and I told him we did not move to a relief centre because we were surrounded (by floodwaters) and were worried about our child’s condition as a heart patient, a COVID-19 risk group.
“We did want to be hemmed in at the relief centre but then, to evacuate to my parents’ house in Bukit Goh here, would render it difficult to go to the hospital if Faqish’s condition acts up at night. My husband then had a boat prepared and also parked our car at the junction entrance,” she told Bernama here, today.
The housewife said that Saifuddin, when informed that six-year-old Faqish has a heart defect and needed to go to the National Heart Institute (IJN) to undergo an examination on Jan 14, immediately said he would help arrange for their trip there.
Nurulsyaza described this as fortunate as she had been uncertain as to how to get to IJN as her husband, Khairy Aswan Bahari, 38, who works as a labourer had to travel to Cameron Highlands tomorrow after being informed of a job opening there.
Meanwhile, Saifuddin, who is also Pahang Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia chief, said he agreed to bear the flight cost for Nurulsyaza and her son on Jan 13, because he was worried that the road to Kuala Lumpur would not be open if the floods prolonged.
“We do not want them to miss an important appointment. If the East Coast Expressway Phase 1 is not opened, they will have to find alternative routes such as through Bahau, Negeri Sembilan which is far away and inconvenient especially to the young Faqish,” he said.
Commenting on the relief mission, Saifuddin, who also waded through the water to meet flood victims, said basic necessities were not only given to victims in Indera Mahkota but also distributed to the Kuantan and Paya Besar constituencies as well.
He said the aid mission was carried out by the Indera Mahkota parliamentary office and Paya Besar Bersatu led by its division head Mohd Yazid Mohd Yunus.
“Pahang Bersatu has come down to the field from the beginning to help flood victims and our work will be intensified for post-flood tasks because at that time, there is a lot more to be done such as clean up work,” he said.
