BWI: RM34 million channelled to 34,000 heads of households as of yesterday - PM

KUALA LUMPUR: The government has channelled a total of RM34 million for distribution as compassionate aid (BWI) to 34,000 heads of households in the flood-hit states as of yesterday.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the distribution of funds allocated by the Federal Government for flood victims must be made easy and expedited.

"The distribution of the BWI to the flood victims has begun yesterday," he said in a posting on Facebook today.

Ismail Sabri said the meeting of the Task Force for Post-Flood Management and Preparation for Second Wave of Floods chaired by Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali yesterday agreed that the aid would be given in cash.

"This will ensure faster distribution of the BWI to the flood victims," he said.

Ismail Sabri three methods of payment to be used are cash payment at Disaster Operations Control Centres (PKOB), house-to-house cash payment, and electronic fund transfer, which will enable the distribution of the BWI to the recipients to be done quickly and effectively.

He said the aid had been channelled to the PKOB with the cooperation from the Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU) under the Prime Minister's Department (JPM).

"Efforts to find unregistered victims are being done by PKOB and ICU-JPM," he added.

Prior to this, Ismail Sabri was reported as saying that the government had agreed to give RM1,000 to each household affected by floods.

-- BERNAMA