SUBANG JAYA, Nov 6: What was meant to be a quick Deepavali shopping trip for some Indian folks in Subang Jaya and its nearby areas turned out to be a disappointment as flood waters greeted them instead at the popular Subang Parade shopping mall here late Sunday afternoon.
A special bazaar set up to sell saris, punjabi suits, kurtis and other textiles materials and accessories had to be stopped halfway as flood waters began to fill up the ground floor where the bazaar had been set up. The lower ground parking areas had to be closed as well as they were inundated in waters brought in up by a flash flood in the area.
While workers at the bazaar had to quickly save their sales items from the wet carpets and shift them to the stage, staff manning their shops had to do the same and took to sweeping out the waters from their lots.
Around 5 to 6pm some of the shops were also seen closing their shops as their sales were interrupted and the flood waters were still there.
A staff who was helping out with packing up and placing the bazaar items said they hoped to back to sell their stuff on Monday (today) November 6 and hoped to make up for their lost sales. He said the management was also clearing away the wet carpets to prepare the area for Monday.
Another hopeful Deepavali shopper, who came with his family, said some entertainment that had been planned in the area had to be cancelled too.
“While the management had taken the efforts to decorate the mall in view of the Festival of Lights, they probably did not see the flash floods ahead,” he said.
Meanwhile, another staff who has been working in Subang Parade for a few years, said that it was not the first time that such flooding had taken place. He said apart from flood waters entering from outside, there were issues with the roofing of the shopping mall.
He expressed hope that the matter will be sorted out by the management fast as holidays and festive periods are when many of the shops earn a bit more to keep their revenue up.
Meanwhile, small groups of Indians were seen around the bazaar areas doing some last minute shopping for Deepavali, which will be celebrated this coming Sunday, Nov 12.
–WE