WHAT HAPPENED TO PM? Muhyiddin announces RM500 aid to flood victims

RANTAU PANJANG- Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today visited an evacuation centre in flood-hit Kelantan and announced a RM500 aid to every household that has moved to an official relief centre.

He said he had instructed the National Security Council (NSC) to handle the matter and give out the aid quickly. The aid was to ease the financial burden of the households following the natural disaster and it was a continuation of such assistance given out over the past two years, he said after the visit to the flood relief centre at Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Gual Tinggi, here.

Muhyiddin was accompanied by his wife, Puan Sri Norainee Abdul Rahman, and International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, who is the MP for Jeli.

Floods have forced the evacuation of more than 15,000 people, as of today, in Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang. In Kelantan alone, the number of evacuees, as of today, is 6,507.

Muhyiddin said the RM500 aid would be given only to households which evacuated to official relief centres and registered with the Social Welfare Department.

People who suffered damage or destruction to agricultural produce, including livestock, would have to contact the Agriculture Department to evaluate their loss, he said.

"Such evaluation is important to avert the past situation where farmers claimed huge losses when the damage or destruction was only small," he said.

People who suffered damage to property, such as houses, would have allocations for repair handled by the Umno liaison committee, such as in Kelantan, through the compassionate fund.

Muhyiddin, who is also the education minister, said the decision to postpone classes at schools used as flood relief centres would be made only by the respective state education departments.

– Bernama