Malaysia landslide: Despite pain of losing loved ones in Batang Kali, families try to move on

KUALA LUMPUR: Mr Tong Chee Kong, 44, had been looking forward to celebrating Chinese New Year with his wife Lai Lee Koon and son Tong Kai En as they did every year.

They had planned to do some shopping for the upcoming festivities after his wife and son were back from a camping trip at the Father’s Organic Farm in Batang Kali.

However, Mrs Lai, 44, and Kai En, nine, were never to come back from that camping trip, dying in a landslide that occurred in the early hours of the morning on Dec 16.  

“They said that after they get back we would go shopping for the new year. I never expected something like this would happen,“ Mr Tong told reporters at his home in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday (Dec 28).     

“I am not celebrating the Chinese New Year. I’m all alone. How do I celebrate it?,” he added.

Mr Tong could only show reporters his son’s schoolbooks, trophies, and several pictures of his son that were hung on the wall.  

There was also a pet hamster that his son received as a gift on his birthday.

He said that his son excelled in school and was well loved by all the teachers.  

“All this is just a memory now. “I am all alone now. What can I do? I have to accept it. I can’t do anything,” said Mr Tong.

Mr Tong who met his wife during their schooling days in Melaka had been married for 18 years.

His wife was a teacher at the government-aided Mun Choong Chinese Primary School in Kuala Lumpur while his son studied there.  

Mr Tong could not join his wife and son at the camp as he could not get off work for so many days.

Together with the two on the camping trip was his wife’s sister, who also did not survive the tragedy.

“Before leaving my son told me to take care of myself for a few days while they were away. Now he is no more,” he said, adding that his wife only gave birth to their son after many years.

He said that when he first saw the body of his son and then his wife, he fainted.

After several days of tears, Mr Tong said he came to terms with the incident and went back to work soon after.

“I don’t want to sit alone at home and let my emotions get the better of me. It is better that I go to work,” he told CNA before a special event where families of several victims were handed out with aid from the government. 

During the event Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Functions) Armizan Mohd Ali presented RM20,000 of financial aid to Mr Tong. 

Mr Armizan later presented RM10,000 to Siti Esah Hassan, 53, who is the mother of another victim Nurul Azwani Kamaruzaman, 31.

Mrs Siti said that she had to come to terms with her daughter’s death although it was difficult to do, especially when she saw her daughter’s clothes in their home in Kuala Lumpur.

“It’s hard for me to sleep at night, thinking of her. It feels like she’s there sometimes. When I look at her clothes, I feel sadder. But I can’t do anything except to accept what had happened,” she told reporters at her home.   

She said that Nurul Azwani, the eldest of three daughters, was a cheerful person who always had a smile on her face.

“She was supposed to come back home on that Friday and we were then supposed to go back to my village in Kelantan by bus at night. My daughter had already bought the tickets as it was the school holidays,” said Mrs Siti.

She added that this was the first time that her daughter went camping, on the invitation of her boss who was the canteen operator at the school.

Mrs Siti said that her daughter was unmarried as she wanted to take care of her.

Now with her daughter gone, Mrs Siti said that she had to be strong to continue with her life. 

The landslide tragedy that struck shortly after 2am on the morning of Dec 16 left 31 people dead, some of them were teachers and staff of the school and their family members.  

The body of the final victim was recovered by the search and rescue team on Saturday (Dec 24).  

There were a total of 61 survivors, out of 92 people involved in the incident.

The landslide in Batang Kali, a popular hilly area near Genting Highlands, tore through an unlicensed campsite while people slept in their tents.

Based on an initial investigation, the authorities said that an embankment of about 450,000 cubic metres of earth had collapsed, causing the earth to fall from an estimated height of 30m and cover an area of about 0.4ha.

The police have previously said that they recorded statements from 53 people to assist in investigations, including the operator of the campsite. 

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar had announced on Dec 16 financial aid and support measures for those affected by the fatal landslide.

Mr Anwar said RM10,000 (US$2,260) will be given to the families of those who died while RM1,000 in compassionate aid will be channelled to the survivors.