Reporters on the job: wet, cold and stranded

If the news from the Tenang by-election yesterday seemed a little soggy it was because many reporters and their temporary offices were thoroughly soaked. Bernama and Utusan Malaysias offices were in 2ft of water, and Bernama communications were cut off when a Telecoms exchange was inundated.

Many reporters were stranded or cut off from their base while out on the job, besides the difficulty of travelling on narrow flooded country roads.

MalaysiaKinis reporters (above) got a lift from the army the soldiers had come to ferry out the deputy prime minister who had visited a polling station at a primary school and was stuck because of the flooded roads. MalaysiaKini carried on reporting, through three other colleagues at their base in Taman Sri Bayu, Labis.

With the road out of Yong Peng-Labis now clear, Regina Lee tweeted this morning that they were about to evacuate.

From MalaysiaKini

Bernama
Johor bureau chief Mohd Haikal Isa and photographer Ismail Abdullah were cut off and stranded after leaving the Muhyiddin function.

Mohd Haikal said: I wanted to return to Labis town but the bridge in Kampung Paya Merah was submerged in flood water. Ismail and I tried to find an alternative route through Kampung Sawah Baru but the bridge there was also submerged.

There was no other alternative route. I am still in Pekan Air Panas where the electricity supply has been disrupted, probably due to the flood.

The Bernama base at a rented house in Taman Berjaya 2 was cut off by 1m-deep flood waters in the Labis old town area. And the Internet connection and telephone lines were also cut, because the telephone exchange was flooded. Telecoms echnicians from Segamat could not get through as the flooded Segamat-Labis road was closed.

Utusan Malaysia
Reporter Kamil Masli! h and ni ne colleagues were working in 2ft of water at their base, a rented house in Kampung Sg Gatom. We may move to the community hall or some other safe place to continue our coverage, he said.

Malaysian Digest
Reporter Ahmad Aidil Syukri said news coverage at all 12 polling centres was affected by the flood.

Its dangerous for us because the roads are narrow, slippery and winding, and visibility is hampered. As today [Sunday] is the day, the situation is challenging [having] to move around fast to provide coverage.

Another reporter, Firdaus had difficulty returning to his base; the road to the house was flooded and closed to traffic.

(But its also a load of fun. And therell be plenty of dinner tales arising from assignments like these.)