The Pastor/Elder/Leader
NECF Member Churches/Organisations
Malaysia
Dear Pastor/Elder/Leader,
Re: Unprecedented Floods in Peninsula Malaysia
Most of you are aware of the devastating floods recently that affected thousands of people and damaged much property estimated in millions of dollars. While the government will do their part to repair public property and provide relief to affected households, we want to seek your partnership to make our Christian witness visible and effective in times of disaster. We seek to do the following:
1. Provide immediate relief to affected families through churches & organisations who have been helping those flood victims. In this respect, we will channel our community relief fund of RM80,000 for bedding, foodstuffs, stoves, etc to more than 3,000 families in Segamat, Gemas and Malacca. Please see below for the short write-up on the churches that rose to the occasion - contributing food, clothing and shelter to those in need.
2. Assist local churches with funds and training to form a flood relief task force. A strategic plan will be formulated which include mobilising of volunteers, converting suitable churches into temporary relief centres, evacuation process, clean-up and distribution of food packages. One pastor has already responded and requested us for funds to buy boats and motors.
3. We see the government’s call to “adopt a village” as an opportunity for churches to serve their community. Besides avoiding duplication, this method will ensure the relief will be given directly and quickly to the affected families. We have decided to adopt a number of villages in the various localities affected by the flood and plan to help them rebuild their lives.
As your partner in ministry, the leadership of NECF Malaysia urges you to give generously towards the above projects to enable better coordination, accountability and distribution. Kindly write cheque to “NECF Malaysia”, designating it for Community Relief Fund.
We trust that the above action will continue to strengthen the Malaysian church’s witness in our land.
Thank you and God bless.
Patrick Cheng
On behalf of Rev Wong Kim Kong, J.M.N.
Secretary-General
c.c. Council Chairman
Brief Report on how churches helped the flood victims
 
1. Kota Tinggi
Various churches in J.B. mobilised their members to pack and send hundreds of lunch packages, toiletries and other essential goods to the flood victims. Some were able to send their members to help clean houses. A local Christian drug rehabilitation centre turned its premises into a flood relief centre. The supervisor and the inmates took turns to cook food for the people. Some churches partnered with them to provide financial and practical help to the flood victims. (at the point of writing this letter the town is flooded again because of heavy rains)
2. Segamat
One church elder opened his home as a mini relief centre for people to shelter and have bath and warm meals. A number of his church members’ houses, cars and other property were badly affected. Another church suffered damage to three of their social welfare homes - furniture, appliances, musical instruments, computers, together with 4 vans and a few cars were submerged in water, total loss runs to over RM100,000.
3. Malacca
A number of the Malacca churches have gone through special training and were quick to respond in three stages viz. evacuation, cleaning-up and distribution of "starter packs" (consisting of rice, milo, sugar, canned food and drinking water). They were also able to mobilise four teams of volunteers to help in clean-up operations.
4. Gemas
More than 700 families are affected and were moved to two evacuation centres after 2 days of heavy rains on 17th & 18th December. Many of them almost lost everything in the flood. The church in this locality did what they could on a small scale – distributing minerals waters, used clothes, snacks and milk to the evacuated centres besides offer transport and visited their homes after flood. They stretched their ability despite of limited resources.
 
 
 
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Update: Photos of distribution of food, mattresses, etc to flood victims at Gemas and Segamat, 20-Jan-2007 >>> view here
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