Race makes no difference as Klang Valley mosques welcome flood victims

Mosques in the Klang Valley have been opening their doors to flood victims regardless of race or religion as the rising waters caused by several days of non-stop rain continue to see families evacuated from their homes.

Masadan Mohsin, a nazir at Masjid At-Taqwa in Bukit Kapar, Selangor, said non-Muslims have also been seeking shelter at the mosque since Saturday.

He said most live in the area although some were also stranded on the road and had sought shelter for the night before attempting to continue their journey home the next day.

“Currently we have around 180 victims staying the night compared to 200 the day before,” he told MalaysiaNow.

“Some people including a few Chinese became stranded on the road and came to the mosque for shelter last night – they managed to get home today.

“But we still have a few Malay and Indian families here who are residents but cannot go home yet.”

This is despite the slowly receding water levels which have made some roads passable again.

Because their homes had been wrecked, Masadan said, the residents would have to stay at the mosque for a few more days.

Ustaz Izzat from Masjid Al Madaniah USJ 18 meanwhile said the flood-hit areas around Puchong and Subang Jaya have not seen much improvement.

“We are receiving a lot more people tonight,” he said. “We estimate around 600 people are currently seeking shelter at the mosque.”

This is beyond the mosque’s maximum capacity of 500, but many people have been left stranded by the floods, he said.

“We estimate that this situation might continue for over a week. We are preparing the best that we can now.”

Izzat’s mosque has yet to receive any non-Muslim flood victims but he said everyone is welcome.

For now, they are trying to find blankets and pillows for those who are forced to spend the night.

The situation is much the same at Masjid Al Falah Seksyen 9 in Shah Alam, which is currently sheltering some 120 people.

Mosque leader Yusoh Latiff said there was no problem of overcrowding as victims were constantly being relocated to other places.

He too said everyone was welcome regardless of race or religion, adding that he hoped no one would be left behind.

“The majority of residents here are Malays, so most of the victims who have sought shelter at the mosque so far are Malays.

“But we do have non-Muslims who have volunteered to help at the mosque,” he said.

“When we have a crisis on our hands, no one should feel left out. We welcome everyone to come to the mosque. We will treat everyone equally.”

Izzat meanwhile said Malaysians appear the kindest in times of crisis, when everyone pitches in to help out in their own ways.

“We have received a lot of donations, basic necessities like food and water, clothes and diapers,” he said.

“People come to the mosque to the point that we are past capacity, but we also receive unceasing help from others. We have been receiving help non-stop from Malaysians.”