{
  "id": 18101478,
  "title": "From ashes to taps: Six months on, Kampung Bahagia gets water, toilets and a tank for future fires",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/from-ashes-to-taps-six-months-on-kampung-bahagia-gets-water-toilets",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-04T08:52:32.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Malay Mail",
    "slug": "malay-mail-malaymail",
    "url": "https://www.malaymail.com/news/life/2026/11/04/from-ashes-to-taps-six-months-on-kampung-bahagia-gets-water-toilets-and-a-tank-for-future-fires/241969"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Six months after a devastating fire struck Kampung Bahagia, the once waterless village now boasts renewed water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities. Mercy Malaysia and Yayasan Sime Darby (YSD) officially launched these amenities at a ceremony held at the Kampung Bahagia Children's Humanitarian Development Centre. Mercy Malaysia's president, Datuk Dr Ahmad Faizal Mohd Perdaus, emphasized the significance of these basic services for families recovering from the loss of their homes, stating that clean water and safe sanitation are the \"foundation of health and dignity.\"\n\nThe RM300,000 project, funded by YSD and implemented by Mercy Malaysia, encompasses four temporary communal blocks for toilet, bathing, and washing purposes, as well as a substantial water storage tank and piping network. These additional water storage capabilities are intended to aid the community in preparing for future emergencies, including firefighting efforts.\n\nYSD CEO Yatela Zainal Abidin explained that the foundation had previously extended RM270,000 in emergency aid to 1,000 affected families. She also acknowledged that many families would continue to face challenges long after the initial relief efforts. The project was a collaborative effort between Mercy Malaysia and local craftsmen, authorities, and community representatives, who worked together from planning to completion.\n\nThe April 19 fire destroyed approximately 1,000 stilt houses, impacting nearly 9,000 residents. As of September 22, around 300 families were still residing in donated tents and plywood huts near the destroyed site, lacking both electricity and regular access to clean water. Village head Sharif Hashim Sharif Titing revealed that most residents wished to rebuild on the same site, where the Sabah Lands and Surveys Department had conducted preliminary site mapping.",
  "summary": "SANDAKAN, Nov 4 — Fire-hit families in Kampung Bahagia, who were left without safe water and proper toilets when a...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}