Coastal Erosion Closes In On Village Homes In Tanjung Dawai

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Suhaida Abu Hassan, 44, showing the condition of a villager’s house damaged by waves in Kampung Huma, Tanjung Dawai - NSTP/NOORAZURA ABDUL RAHMANSUNGAI PETANI: Once a quiet coastal village, Kampung Huma in Tanjung Dawai is now teetering on the edge as coastal erosion threatens residents' homes.
Powerful waves and creeping coastal erosion are threatening to swallow homes, some of which now stand mere feet from the sea.
Dozens of families who have lived there for decades find themselves in trouble, unsure how much longer their houses can hold against the tides.
Fifty-six-year-old fisherman Abdullah Ahmad said his house, built more than 20 years ago, has suffered significant damage due to the unrelenting wave impact.
"My home used to be two kilometres from the shore.
"Now, the sea is right there. Even the stone breakwater that we hoped would protect us is slowly disappearing beneath the waves," he said when met.
He said a storm in August last year destroyed his kitchen and toilet, forcing him and his family to evacuate.
"They now live with his son, having deemed their home unsafe.
"When the waves came, nearly two metres high, we fled with only some clothes and important documents.
"It felt like a nightmare. We stayed at a temporary shelter for a few days before moving in with my son," he said.
Abdullah is one of at least 23 families in the village facing similar struggles.
With no financial means to rebuild, he said he has no choice but to wait and hope.
Ailing from diabetes and unable to fish, Abdullah said the family now relies solely on his wife, who earns RM60 a day as a shop assistant.
"We can't afford a new house, and it's too dangerous to move back."
Checks at the village yesterday found strong waves still visibly crashing against the remaining defences, which consisted of crumbling rocks.
Another villager, Suhaida Abu Hassan, 44, said recent waves on July 13 surged into homes, shaking them violently.
"Every time there's a storm, our house trembles like it's a tsunami. We can't sleep. If there's a warning, we grab our things and flee to the hall. Last year, 24 families had to evacuate," she said.
"Some homes are already hollowed out underneath, just waiting to collapse," she added.
For Mohd Razif Nayan, 57, who has lived in Kampung Huma all his life, the erosion became critical after the 2004 tsunami.
"Back then, we still had thick forests, and the water never reached our homes. But since then, the sea has been eating away at the land, year after year," he said.
The makeshift breakwater, he added, offers little protection.
"Waves can crash in anytime. It's too close. If nothing is done, our homes will vanish. If the sea rises at night, we might not even have time to escape," Razif warned.
Ismail Dan, 45, echoed the plea for immediate action.
"If our homes collapse, I wouldn't know where to bring my wife and children.
"We urge the authorities to raise and reinforce the stone barrier before more homes are lost. At this rate, they won't survive the year," he said.
Universiti Utara Malaysia maritime affairs expert Dr Mohammad Zaki Ahmad had previously told the New Straits Times that such coastal events have grown in frequency and severity in recent years due to climate change and gravitational tidal forces.
He said the current spell of intense wave activity along the Tanjung Dawai coastline highlights the urgent need for lasting mitigation measures as erosion creeps ever closer. - NST

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