When Sapno Tukijo stepped out from the safety of the Taman Free School surau in Penang into the pouring rain and raging floodwaters in the wee hours of last Sunday, only one thing was on his mind.

"I didn't feel anything then, I just wanted to save the others," Sapno told Malaysiakini.

The bilal, or muezzin, had opened the doors of the surau to some 70 people, including Chinese and Indians, giving them refuge to wait out the floods.

His efforts had made headlines nationwide and earned him and the Taman Free School surau praise, including from Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak...