The best portion of a man’s life, his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love. — William Wordsworth
WHEN a helicopter flew over the Kuching Waterfront on Monday, many stopped to look.
“Is there a sinking boat,” they wondered and were obviously worried.
If you are wondering why the helicopter was flying over the city, State Disaster Management director Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu was probably in the heli – if not, his team – to monitor the flood situation in and around the state capital.
“Oh, that’s quite a show, why not walk a mile in the flooded area,” a journalist quipped over a cuppa after a trip to the Kuching Barrage and the waterfront to check on the level of the river.
“It’s not comfortable at all to be in a helicopter, not to mention during bad weather,” I was quick to remark, having had some work-related experience travelling in the whirlybird.
In one of the worst hit areas – Batu Kitang – where the floods had reached quite a high level, State PKR Women chief Voon Shiak Ni braved the heavy downpour and above knee-high water together with party members to help evacuate victims.
Later, she said they were in the area to advise 10 Chinese families at the old Batu Kitang bazaar to move out. It was well into the night.
People affected by the floods could be quite adamant about not abandoning their homes, tending to cling to the hope – no matter how slim – that the deluge would soon pass.
Regardless, the safety of the families is still the most important. After all, a damaged house can be repaired and rebuilt but lives lost are irreplaceable.
At one evacuation centre where cases of Hand, Foot and Mouth disease had been detected, Women, Welfare and Family Development Minister Datuk Fatimah Abdullah was busy explaining the importance of hygiene to the evacuees.
She also joined the students there in activities they would have carried out in school but for the floods, and even did half an hour of aerobics with them before joining the staff from various government agencies to cook lunch for the evacuees at the centre.
She did not claim any credit but instead thanked the Armed Forces, the Civil Defence Department, the Police, the Medical Department, Rela and the Welfare Department for their flood relief efforts.
A charming minister she is – as always.
Close to midnight, SUPP chairman Datuk Senator Dr Sim Kui Hian together with Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How were at SK Chung Hua No. 4 helping more than 200 evacuees from Kampung Kudei.
At the Ops Room at Kompleks Islam Sarawak, workers toiled round the clock to attend to more than 3,000 flood victims being put up at various evacuation centres in the city.
Earlier, See planted markers along risky areas (with big drains) to ensure traffic did not move out of designated lanes.
Maintaining surveillance at the Kuching Barrage were its general manager Captain Goh Chin Guan and his team. They were there to make sure the gates were opened or closed at the right time, and to alert the authorities concerned, if need be.
I commend our journalists for visiting the flooded areas to see first-hand the situation on the ground and then file or post reports for the print media or on their website the next day.
Of course, there were many little, unnamed acts of kindness and unity shown by unnamed anak Sarawak – but surely those acts were not unremembered.
Do you see the difference between the handling of the flood situations in the peninsula and Sarawak?
Across the waters, it was constant bickering, nit-picking, questioning of motives and finger-pointing whereas over here in our beloved state, one thing is obvious – we have risen above political differences and racial lines to deal with the problem at hand. It’s unity we see.
Such a demonstration of oneness in tackling a calamity speaks volumes of the virtues of brotherly love and solidarity.
How blessed we are when we can live in an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust, and work together in tackling the havoc wreaked by the floods.
Let us hold firmly to peace, unity and harmony and set aside petty differences, cast our vision ever upward and embrace our fellow Sarawakians in time of need.
It was still drizzling outside but a sweetness infused the atmosphere at my home. I felt comforted as I was reminded of these words of King David in Pslam 133:
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard, that went down to the skirts of his garments.
“As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion, for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.”
It would be even more meaningful if all our YBs were to spring into action to lend a collective hand at such a time.
We have the country’s most highly paid members of the Legislature (counting 71 YBs) and if all of them were live up to the true meaning of YB as in Yang Bekerja, it certainly would result in the bestowal of blessings upon blessings for the state.
PKR Sarawak chief Baru Bian recently reminded himself and the YBs of the oath they have taken and sworn to uphold to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the State of Sarawak and the Federal Constitution.
“Our Constitution sets out and guarantees the rights of all Malaysians and I am ever mindful that we are entrusted to speak up for all citizens of Malaysia irrespective of race, religion, origin or whether they are of the urban or rural populace.
“Nowhere in that oath did I swear to focus on the rights of the people of Ba Kelalan to the exclusion of the rights of all other Malaysian citizens.”
It would be good, and actually legitimate, for YBs from flood-free constituencies to go to the ground as well to provide flood relief.
Indeed, in time of crisis, there is no place for self among those elected to serve the rakyat.
To conclude, I think it’s fitting to share a little poem about self-centredness:
I had a little tea party this afternoon at three
‘Twas was very small, three guests in all,
Just I, myself and me.
“Twas I who ate the sandwiches
And I drank up the tea
“Twas also I who ate the pie
And passed the cake to me.