Plan for Speedy Action
The floods that unexpectedly struck Johor and Melaka and other states during last Christmas season and then again in early January underscore the pressing need to train and mobilise churches to be ready to respond to disasters immediately.
In many affected areas, especially in Johor, relief groups from other religions were on the spot almost immediately after the first wave of floods with their relief centres all set up because they had their action plan and machinery in place.
The same could not be said for the Malaysian Church in general. It took quite a while before churches realised the gravity of the situation and even then, many were not really sure how to help, except to donate cash.
Churches therefore need to come together to put into place a disaster relief action plan for their communities.
This is not about competition – to see who gets there first. The point is that churches must be ready to respond right away should a disaster strike their community or their neighbouring communities.
As one crisis relief head reflected in the aftermath of the devastating floods: “Relief work in any crisis is all about the speedy mobilisation (emphasis added) of rescue teams, and the recent floods in Johor saw the Crisis Relief Squad MCA (CRSM) scrambling into action from day one.” (The Star, Jan 12)
CRSM chief Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun added that “an integral and effective communication network” could have enhanced rescue work, especially urgent medical care.
To get churches into the “scrambling into action from day one” mode, NECF Malaysia has proposed an action plan to help victims of natural disasters. The initial plan outlines the roles and responsibilities of three groups.
Local Churches
- Form a task force to devise a plan for relief action in preparation of a flood;
- Identify roles and responsibility of each church in the areas of, for example, evacuation, providing food, logistics, and distribution of bedding and clothing. To also identify suitable churches to be converted into relief centres;
- Mobilise church members to each prepare an emergency pack for family of four for three days. Suggested items to include in the pack are bottled water, toiletries and canned food;
- Enlist church members who own four-wheelers and lorries to be ready to transport food, clothing and bedding to victims; and
- Start a community relief fund for the long haul. For example, if there are 12 churches in the location and each church contributes RM1,000, the task force will have RM12,000 for immediate operations.
NECF Malaysia
- Bring awareness to local churches on the urgency to reach out to victims of natural disasters such as floods, landslides and earthquakes;
- Encourage churches to give generously towards the NECF Community Relief Fund that will be utilised to facilitate churches to carry out relief work; and
- Work with Christian relief agencies, primarily CREST, to train and equip churches to carry out disaster relief tasks.
Christian Relief Agencies
- Train churches on how to handle relief work;
- Supervise and coordinate disaster relief operations when necessary;
- Work with government and other NGOs to get sponsorships in cash and kind for disaster victims; and
- Advise NECF and churches on both short-term and long-term strategies that need to be taken to help disaster-prone communities.
 
NECF’s staff, Patrick Cheng and Simon S. Arputham, travelled to Gemas and Segamat on Jan 20 to check out the relief work there. They visited two distribution centres and snapped these photos. Clockwise from top left: Victims in Gemas collecting their coupons for carpentry or electrical wiring services; All ready to give out the matteresses and food items to victims in Segamat; Exhausted volunteers taking a nap; Inmates of this welfare home in Segamat, which is run by a church, had to flee to a nearby temple for refuge when the first wave submerged their centre. As the photo shows, the centre has been cleaned up. |
 
Quietly busy
Their contributions may not have made it to the local press, but churches in the affected flood areas have been busy dispensing aid and easing the woes of the victims.
In Kota Tinggi, Johor, where the town was inundated, various churches from nearby Johor Baru mobilised their members to pack and send thousands of food packs to the victims daily. Some also send their members to help victims clean up their houses after the floods had subsided. A Christian drug centre in Kota Tinggi turned its premises into a relief centre and the supervisor and inmates took turns to cook for the victims, with help in cash and kind from churches.
Segamat was one of the worst-hit towns. NECF teamed up with a Kuala Lumpur church, CREST and Charisma Assembly to buy and distribute thousands of mattresses, pillows and food items to 3,000 families. The items were distributed on Jan 20 and 21 from a hardware shop.
Christians from nearby towns and volunteers from a drug rehabilitation centre in Ipoh came out to help unload the goods and distribute the items.
Earlier on, one church elder turned his home into a mini-relief centre to house several of his church members whose houses, cars and properties were damaged. Three social welfare homes belonging to another church suffered great damage. Besides household stuff, the homes also lost four vans and several cars. Their total loss amounted to over RM100,000.
Thanks to prior training, Melaka churches were quick to respond to the victims. They helped with evacuation, preparing and distributing starter packs, and the aftermath cleaning-up work. They mobilised four teams of volunteers to help clean up several affected homes in two areas “ Melaka Baru and Malim.
Bro. Jerry Lim stressed that the rebuilding of lives for the victims goes on long after the waters have subsided. The cleaning up is often a back-breaking and heart-wrenching task as they sift through their belongings, some which are priceless because of their sentimental value.
In Gemas, Johor, First Assembly of God did what it could for the first-wave victims by distributing water, clothes, milk and snacks to the evacuation centres. Subsequently, about 50 unchurched victims later attended their Christmas service.
The church came up with a unique way of helping the victims after the second wave of flood. With the money donated by NECF, it distributed coupons to over 450 families, which entitled them to the much-needed services of either a carpenter or an electrician. Upon completion of the jobs, the carpenter or electrician will present the coupons to the church for payment.
Other places in Johor affected by the floods included Muar, Batu Pahat and Kluang. The churches there are individually helping the victims.
Meanwhile, NECF Malaysia has given out an initial sum of RM71,000 from its Community Relief Fund to help the flood victims in Segamat and Gemas.
The money was channelled through churches which are involved in relief work there. About RM58,000 was used to buy beddings for a few thousand victims in Segamat, while the balance was given to Gemas victims.
More donations are coming in from churches and the money will be speedily distributed accordingly.
The synergy of working together
NECF’s staff, Patrick Cheng and Simon S. Arputham, travelled to Gemas and Segamat on Jan 20 to check out the relief work there. They visited two distribution centres and snapped these photos. Clockwise from top left: Victims in Gemas collecting their coupons for carpentry or electrical wiring services; All ready to give out the matteresses and food items to victims in Segamat; Exhausted volunteers taking a nap; Inmates of this welfare home in Segamat, which is run by a church, had to flee to a nearby temple for refuge when the first wave submerged their centre. As the photo shows, the centre has been cleaned up. |
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