Kedah government hands out contributions to tornado victims

The Kedah government will provide aid to tornado victims in Kampung Alor Besar, here, after a tornado yesterday left 11 homes and a school badly damaged.

The aid will be given to 11 families, involving about 50 victims, as well as Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Alor Besar which was also affected in the incident.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Tun Dr Mahathir said the state government would strive to ease their burden through aid from various channels and government agencies.

He said they would give out cash contributions from the Baitulmal, for a start, besides his own personal contribution to the victims.

"Currently, our focus is to repair the victims' homes and the school that was badly affected by the disaster," he told reporters after visiting and presenting contributions to the victims at SK Alor Besar today.

Also present was State Women Development, Community Welfare, Agricultural and Agro-based and Entrepreneur Development committee chairman Datuk Suraya Yaacob.

Mukhriz said the state government would do their best to repair the school so that students could continue their schooling session as usual this Sunday.

Following the school's condition, students have been given special leave today and tomorrow.

Meanwhile, several government agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGO) came forward to help disaster victims by handing out contributions and cleaning up the premises of their homes.

Kampung Alor Besar Village Security and Development Committees (JKKK) chairman Norzizan Jaafar said contributions between RM300 and RM1,000 were channeled to the families through Pendang Member of Parliament Datuk Othman Abdul.

"This assistance will help ease the burden of victims. I am in the process of conducting a census on those houses which were badly affected in the incident," he said.