‘I could only wait for rescue’: Mother recalls evacuating bedridden son in Kpg Sungai Maong flood

Yot Seman recounts the tense moments of evacuating her bedridden son during the Kampung Sungai Maong flood to reporters at the temporary evacuation centre (PPS) at Masjid Darul Istiqlaal on Feb 22, 2026.

By Shikin Louis

KUCHING, Feb 22: As floodwaters rose in Kampung Sungai Maong on Feb 20, 70-year-old Yot Seman faced her worst fear — how to evacuate her 46-year-old son, Faridzuandy Adam, who has been bedridden since suffering a stroke eight months ago.

Speaking to reporters at the temporary evacuation centre (PPS) at Masjid Darul Istiqlaal this morning, Yot said the village regularly experiences flooding each year due to its proximity to the river.

“When the water rises, there’s always a risk of flooding. We had already moved our furniture to the second floor where we’ve been preparing since the start of the year because we went through this last year.

“I also saw in the news that the rainy season would continue until Chinese New Year and the start of Ramadan, so we made sure to stay prepared,” she said.

Despite the preparations, a sinking feeling of helplessness set in as the floodwaters slowly crept closer. For Yot, this was different from past floods. She knew she could not move her son on her own.

“I realised there was no way I could carry him by myself. All I could do was wait and hope the rescuers from the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) and Civil Defence Force (APM) would come quickly to move my son,” she recounted.

By 7pm last night (Feb 21), Yot went ahead to the PPS to register and break her Ramadan fast with whatever food was available, all the while worrying about how her son would be evacuated.

At 9pm, she returned home to prepare Faridzuandy for evacuation. Two hours later, at 11pm, firefighters and APM officers arrived to carefully carry him to the PPS.

A glimpse inside the PPS shows a bed set up next to a tent, with only the leg of Yot’s bedridden son visible.

Meanwhile, Yot’s 80-year-old sister, Rajemah Seman, who also had to evacuate, recounted how quickly the floodwaters rose to waist level.

“We straight away moved to the PPS at 2pm. There wasn’t much we could take, and we broke our fast with whatever food was available at the centre,” she said.

Rajemah Seman, 80, describes how floodwaters quickly rose to waist level, forcing her and her family to evacuate to the PPS.

She added that Satok assemblyman Datuk Ibrahim Baki had visited the evacuees and provided aid, which they were very grateful for.

“This is the second time we’ve faced flooding this year. The third day of Ramadan felt quiet and somber because we had to take sahur (pre-dawn meal) and break our fast at the PPS,” Rajemah said, her voice tinged with fatigue and resilience. – DayakDaily