Flood victims to receive five types of assistance from Federal Govt

The Federal government will hand out five types of assistance to those affected by the floods throughout the country from January.

Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Ahmad Maslan said the government would allocate five types of assistance to ease the burden of the people who are affected by the massive floods in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Perak Perlis, Kedah, Johor, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan.

"Parents whose children are going to school will receive RM100 by early January, Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) by mid-January, goodwill payment for those whose houses were flooded and had to be evacuated (amount yet to be decided).

"Two other form of assistance will be to restore damaged properties like clinics, schools, roads, hospitals and other basic infrastructure," he told Bernama after visiting a number of villages affected by floods in Hulu Dungun, here Tuesday.

IN KUCHING, Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem handed a cheque for RM2 million on behalf of the Sarawak state government to Kumpulan Wang Amanah Bantuan Bencana Negara which comes under the National Security Council at the Dewan Undangan Negeri building.

Adenan also thanked volunteers, individuals and corporate bodies that have also come forward to make their contributions to help those affected by the floods while Welfare Departments in Sarawak have also set up collection centres to receive contributions from those who wished to donate things that can assist flood victims.

IN SUBANG JAYA, Mydin Mohamed Holdings Bhd (Mydin), on of the biggest hypermarket chain in the country launched a 'Ringgit for Ringgit' donation drive with Persatuan Orang Kota Bharu (POKB), aimed at collecting RM1 million.

Through the donation drive, Mydin will station donation boxes at 110 Mydin branches throughout the country until the amount hits RM500,000 because Mydin will top up 'Ringgit for Ringgit'.

PKOB President Datuk Sheikh Ahmad Dusuki Sheikh Mohamad who launched the campaign at the Mydin Mall in Subang Jaya today said if the total amount collected was RM500,000, Mydin would contribute RM500,000.

IN DENGKIL, Selangor, the Agriculture and Agro Based Industry Ministry said the agencies under the ministry and the ministry would contribute RM1 million to assist flood victims in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Perak.

The Ministry's deputy secretary-general (policy) Datuk Raihan Sharif said the ministry would assist MKN under the National Blue Ocean Strategy.

Raihan said the FAMA Office in Dengkil, Sepang had been operating 24 hours since Dec 26, as a collection centre for contributions.

IN KUALA LUMPUR, Malindo Air chief executive officer Chandran Rama Muthy told Bernama that the airline had sent 20 tonnes of supply to the East Coast states affected by the floods, since last Saturday.

"We are working together with Tesco, FAMA and the National Security Council to deliver the goods to affected areas," he said.

Another local airline, AirAsia through an email to Bernama said the airline has been sending food and other products to the affected states through a close cooperation with the UMNO Youth Information Bureau and Mercy Malaysia.

Meanwhile, Wanita MCA and Beliawanis MCA on Tuesday launched a donation campaign aimed at collecting RM100,000 through a charity sale, involving Caelygirl (M) Bhd and KL SOGO, a leading shopping mall from Jan 1 to 4.

Wanita MCA chief Datuk Heng Seai Kie said proceeds from the sale would be channeled to Crisis Relief Squad of MCA (CRSM) for onward distribution to flood victims.

IN ALOR SETAR, a 40-member volunteer team from the Kedah and Perlis (Majlis Belia Malaysia, (MBM) would head to Kelantan with 2.5 tonnes of rice, mineral water, medicine, baby diapers and other basic necessities.

Kedah MBM President Muhammad Aizat Roslan said the volunteers would be in Kelantan for four days to distribute the products as well as help clean up schools, community halls and mosques.