Radio gaga (Kuala Lumpur)

The voice from the incoming signal was scratchy at best as the battery in the caller’s walkie-talkie was about to die.

But amateur radio hobbyist Zanirul Akhmal Zanirun, then a volunteer at the National Emergency Communication Centre set up in Angkasapuri, Kuala Lumpur during the 2014 to 2015 floods, heard the message that was coming in from Pahang loud and clear.

“The floodwaters are rising. We are trapped in our house. Get help quick, ” said the caller.

There was no time to waste, recalled Zanirul.

He and the team immediately conveyed the message to the communication centre in Pahang, who in turn alerted the rescue team at the stricken location.

To his relief, an update later revealed that the caller had made it to an evacuation centre safely.

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