“Hello, are you from the insurance company? I hope you are as we need the claims to come in fast.”
That was a conversation I had while walking around with a camera at Taman Sri Muda, Shah Alam, on Tuesday.
The elderly gentleman, who introduced himself as Mr Chan, stopped me to ask that question.
When I told him I was from the media and had come to take some pictures, he looked dejected.
Before he drove off, he said: “Please highlight our plight. Most of us have lost everything, but the insurance companies are taking too long to assess the damage and make payments.”
Another resident, L. Jayakumar, said there were long lines at police stations after the floods on Dec 18, as residents had to lodge police reports as a prerequisite before submitting their insurance claims.
“I think most people do not have flood damage insurance. So, I do not know how much we can get from the insurance companies,” he said.
“My car is a total write-off as I did not get flood insurance. I do not know what I am going to do as that was my only mode of transport.”
Most of the residents are still coming to terms with their losses. Some find it hard to even put food on the table.
That is where Seet Wai Song and FnBulous, a group of food and beverage entrepreneurs, come in.
The group cooked 2,000 meals for the residents on Dec 30, and Tuesday.
They also donated electrical items, canned food, biscuits, school bags, diapers, face masks and sanitisers, among others.
“The outpouring of support has been overwhelming,” said Seet, who owns catering company, Chef On Wheels.
“Many also donated clothes. The area looks so much better (on Tuesday). When we came here last week, there were piles of garbage and mud all over the place.”
One of the recipients of FnBulous’ generosity was Salmiah Wijaya, who said: “The NGOs (non-governmental organisations) have been a great help. They reacted so quickly after the floods.
“I have two children at home. This rice cooker, school bags, and the hot cooked meals mean a lot.”
To all those helping out the flood victims, thank you.
COVID-19 FATALITIES UNDER CONTROL
The number of Covid-19 cases is still in the thousands, but the good news is that fatalities appear to be under control (fingers crossed).
In the past seven days, we had 157 fatalities. That took the total to 31,644.
There were 21,994 new cases, making it 2,780,080, while the number of those cured increased to 2,708,739 after 23,361 were given the all-clear in the past week.
MUCH ADO OVER NOTHING
Recently, many were up in arms when it was announced that RFID (radio frequency identification) lanes would be opened on Plus highways on Jan 15.
There was a misconception that Plus would abolish the Touch ‘n Go (TNG) and SmartTag lanes. That is not the case.
Frankly, I do not see what the fuss is all about, as RFID is already available on many highways.
I use all three – RFID, TNG cards and SmartTag.
However, it is strange that if you use your TNG card on highways that have RFID lanes, the amount is deducted from the e-wallet. However, if the balance on my e-wallet is insufficient, it does not deduct it from the card.
There is a feature on the TNG mobile application called ‘paydirect’, that allows deductions from the card if the e-wallet balance is low. I activated it, but it does not work.
The problem with SmartTag is that most of its lanes are ‘parked’ to the right of the toll plaza.
That is fine if you turn right after the toll, but hell, if you want to go left.
On Wednesday, while exiting Bukit Jelutong, I used the SmartTag lane on the right to beat the long Touch n’ Go queue. However, I then had to cut back to the left as I headed to Taman Tun Dr Ismail.
It is the same for Bukit Jalil to Subang Jaya. The SmartTag lanes are to the right of the exit.
Why not have SmartTag lanes in the middle? Or at each end?
That is how it is exiting Kelana Jaya to Subang Jaya – SmartTag lanes on each end, and in the middle. Now that is ‘smart’.
NO VAC, NO PLAY, NOVAK
By now, everyone would have known that tennis star Novak Djokovic is unlikely to play in the upcoming Australian Open, as he is not vaccinated.
This particular picture is doing its rounds on WhatsApp.
FAREWELL, BETTY WHITE
Legendary actress Betty White died on Dec 31. She would have been 100 on Jan 17. Here is a strange fact – White is older than sliced bread by six years!
Otto Frederick Rohwedder designed and manufactured the first commercial bread-slicing machine in 1928.
SAY ‘NO’ TO APPLES
While going through some old photos, I found this.
So, there goes my New Year’s resolution to eat healthily!
EASY NO-FAIL BLONDIES
If you are in the mood for dessert, why not try this blondies recipe.
THANK YOU FOR BEING A FRIEND
Although she acted in many TV series and movies, Betty White is perhaps best known for The Golden Girls. Here is the theme song from that show.
Until next week, stay safe.
