For five straight days in Hatyai, Leong Beng Tat slept on the stairs of a building, not because he wanted to, but because he couldn’t bear the thought of flood victims still waiting to be saved.
“I barely slept. I kept thinking about the people out there who still needed help,” said Leong, the Chairman of the Sungai Petani Volunteer Firefighter Squad (PBS), who led a large-scale mission to rescue Malaysians stranded in the devastating floods in Hatyai, Thailand.
Five-day mission involving 21 rescue teams
The rescue operation began last Monday and continued for five days, involving 19 PBS members from Kedah, Johor, Penang, Perak and Selangor. Two additional volunteer groups, Ihsan Johor Relief and Blue Sky Rescue Malaysia also joined the effort before the mission was officially halted yesterday.
Leong said the team pushed themselves to the limit out of fear that Malaysians might lose their lives in the disaster.
It was heartbreaking. I was afraid some Malaysians would die in the floods. That’s why we tried to help as much as we could.
“We shared updates on social media so people here would know that we were fighting to save Malaysians there,” he said upon arriving at the Bukit Kayu Hitam Fire and Rescue Station.
Helping not just Malaysians, but anyone stranded
Leong revealed that their mission extended beyond Malaysians, as they also assisted stranded foreigners from various countries, reported Harian Metro.
“We helped everyone… people from China, Saudi Arabia, America. Whoever asked if they could ride with us, we took them,” he said, adding that they could only transport victims as far as Dannok due to road conditions.
Most Malaysian victims requested to be taken to Central Festival Hatyai, which the team designated as their safe ‘centre point’ since it remained unaffected by floodwaters.
“In total, 98 team members from 21 rescue organisations were involved,” Leong said.
Rescue boat capsized while saving sick child
One of the most frightening moments came when their rescue boat capsized while they were trying to save a child suffering from high fever.
“Our boat got stuck, and it overturned. Thankfully, all our rescue members were saved,” he recounted.
The next day, the team searched for a different route to ensure the child could still be rescued.
A hero’s return
Upon crossing back into Malaysia through the Immigration, Customs and Quarantine Complex (ICQS) at Bukit Kayu Hitam, the team was warmly greeted by Kedah Fire and Rescue Department Director Senior Assistant Fire Commissioner Awang Hidzel Awang Bujang.
Despite days without proper rest, Leong and his team returned with one thing on their minds: relief that they had given everything they could.
