PENAMPANG: A nurse at Universiti Malaysia Sabah here never thought she would eventually bid farewell to her first car.
Jesse Joseph was among hundreds of Vista Kiranau residents whose cars were submerged in floodwaters on Sunday.
"This place has always been a flood-prone area since I have been living here for more than 10 years. That is why I usually pay for add-on insurance coverage for floods.
"Previously, the floodwater level was not so bad. But this time, it totally submerged all cars in this apartment complex, including my car.
"I have decided to let it go as the repair costs are going to be expensive and not worth it. I would rather claim the total loss from the insurance company," she said, adding that she had been driving the car for almost 10 years.
A tow truck driver, who wants to be known as Jack, said he had been towing flood victims' cars since yesterday.
"This is the worst disaster ever, where I have received so many calls to tow cars. So far, I have towed 11 cars and there are still many waiting for my services.
"For those with comprehensive insurance coverage, the towing service is free. The rest need to pay between RM150 and RM200."
Meanwhile, on the allegation that the nearby Pan Borneo Highway project in the district has led to the severe flooding, state Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Shahelmey Yahya said it was unfair to single out the one project.
"We should investigate the cause of the flood from many aspects before coming to a conclusion.
"We also need to look and get a report from the site team regarding this matter to see whether they have complied with all the site-keeping requirements," said Shahelmey, who is also state public works minister.
The number of evacuees from four districts has increased to 481 at 4pm compared with 464 at 8am today.