Baling floods: RM1,000 initial assistance for each affected family

BALING: The federal government is channeling initial assistance of RM1,000 to each family affected by floods here, while RM10,000 will be given to the families who lost their loved ones in the incident.

Political secretary to the Prime Minister Datuk Mohammad Anuar Mohd Yunus said so far the intitial assistance had been channelled to more than 100 families housed at several relief centres (PPS) here.

"Home repair assistance will be managed by the government later. For those who lost their homes, the government will discuss the matter with the Rural Development Ministry (KPLB)," he told reporters when visiting a PPS at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Jerai, here today.

He said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had also instructed all agencies involved such as the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma), the Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU) and KPLB to go down to the ground to observe the situation.

"They (the agencies) have been asked to give the report to the Prime Minister so that aid can be channelled immediately to the affected traders," he said.

Meanwhile, Baling Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim said the district had never experienced such severe flooding in the last 100 years and therefore, the relevant authorities needed to look into factors that contributed to the incident.

"We leave this matter to the government, especially the Environment and Water Ministry, the Department of Irrigation and Drainage, Nadma, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the ICU," he said.

The bodies of three family members who were reported missing in the floods and water surge phenomenon that hit Kampung Iboi, Kupang here yesterday, were found by the rescue team at 9.30 am and 11.55 am today.

Salmah Mat Akib, 53, and her daughter-in-law Nurul Anis Abu Hassan, 23, who was four months pregnant, were found embracing each other under a pile of logs.

The bodies were found about 100 metres from their house which was washed away by floods.

The body of the third victim Khairul Ikhwan Nor Azman, 14, who was Salmah's son, was found not far from the location where the two bodies were found earlier.

-- BERNAMA