By Balqis Asrof
GOMBAK, 4 January 2023: With the continuous heavy rain in the last month of 2022 due to the annual northeast monsoon, water levels have increased dramatically which resulted in floods, especially in the east coast of Malaysia.
The Student Union of the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUMSU) has taken initiatives to aid the flood victims in Besut, Kuala Berang and Kuala Terengganu.
The aid took place from 24 to 26 December 2022 for their first trip in which four officers of IIUMSU and three student volunteers participated. The second trip was conducted from 31 December 2022 until 2 January 2023 with one IIUMSU officer and 35 student volunteers involved.
In exploring the events details, IIUMToday interviewed Nur Athirah binti Abdullah, the Deputy President of IIUMSU to share her experience in helping the flood victims.
When asked about the objective of this aid, Athirah stated that it is their responsibility as students to become the front liners in humanitarian and volunteerism missions as they have more flexible timing compared to working adults who already have family and commitment which aligned with the saying ˜Mahasiswa untuk Masyarakat.
Athirah shared the condition of the flood victims during her volunteering experience stating that, œIt was bad. The effects of the flood were unexpected by the people there. Usually, it wasnt that but this time around it is much worse.
œWe went to three houses of our students from AHAS KIRKHS, KOED and KLM. The mother of our student from AHAS KIRKHS expressed her gratitude as she was very much moved by our visit to their house. She never expected that the community where her daughter is studying cared deeply for her daughters hardship.
œShe shed some tears and started hugging us for visiting them as her daughter was not able to come back due to unavoidable circumstances, she added.
Athirah further expressed the grave situation that the victims were in.
œWe went on cleaning the house of this one old grandmother. Her house was in a great mess, and she had no one to help her since she lives alone. She thanked us and insisted on giving us biscuits as a form of gratitude. She said she has nothing to offer but shell make dua that Allah grants us the best in life and Hereafter.
Athirah further shared the initiatives taken by IIUMSU in aiding the victims such as offering food donations, clothes donations, and crowdfunding from the public.
œIIUMSU will always provide the best for the students and the people to our fullest capacity. Thank you to the donors who have donated to us, we do deliver to the flood victims. We hope that our small assistance can make an impact on the lives of many, In Shaa Allah. For the students and for the people, she asserted.***