A new home for victims of a house collapse

KUCHING: Abdul Malik Abu Bakar and his family were beaming with joy upon receiving the keys to their new house in Kampung Kudei Lama which was rebuilt after it collapsed on May 1.

He thanked Satok assemblyman Datuk Ibrahim Baki and the Sarawak government for their assistance as well as to Ibraco Berhad (Ibraco) for rebuilding their house.

Recalling the collapse incident four months ago, Abdul Malik said the house’s wooden and cement structure began to give way starting at the kitchen area, then its front house slowly crumbling.

His house, which provided shelter for ten family members including his 93-year-old elderly mother, collapsed following a heavy rainfall.

“At the time of the incident, I was performing Asar prayers at the Darul Ibadah Mosque nearby around 4.15 pm.

He recalled that his 11-year-old daughter ran to the mosque to inform him about the shocking situation as he immediately rushed home.

Fortunately, there were no casualties, as the eight family members in the house, including Abdul Malik’s mother, were evacuated to safety.

Although still in a panic situation, he promptly filed a police report and was granted permission to retrieve essential documents and jewelleries from the wreckage.

“Many documents were destroyed and some were lost. But we managed to retrieve a few,” he said, adding that his family sought shelter from nearby relatives paying only for electricity and water bills.

The construction of the new house began in June and was completed a few days ago through Ibraco’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects.

Ibraco managing director, Datuk Chew Chiaw Han presented the keys to Abdul Malik yesterday, which was also witnessed by Ibrahim.