Penang gov't to give aid to victims of storm

The Penang government would be giving financial assistance to the victims of the storm which wreaked havoc in several parts of the island and mainland, causing two deaths and several injured last night.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said his administration was assessing the situation and would also give aid to those whose rooftops were blown away by the strong winds.

"We feel regret and express our deepest sympathies to those affected and hope they or their families can be patient while we sort things out," Lim said at a press conference along Jalan Macalister.

"For those whose rooftops have been blown away, we urge them to lodge a police report. Our welfare department is also assessing the situation," he added.

The massive gale which started around 6.55pm tore off the lightning rod of the state Umno building in Jalan Macalister.

Earlier reports had referred to the lightning road as an aerial, but the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission later clarified that it was a lightning rod.

Lorry co-driver Jahir Hussain Sulaiman, 46, died after being hit by the beam, five others were injured and several vehicles damaged.

The incident also resulted in another death of Pihak Berkuasa Air (PBA) staff Wong Tze Chow, 33 -  struck by a falling tree - in a separate incident in Air Itam.

Lim said he would be chairing a meeting later today with the relevant departments, to see how the state can give assistance and return affected homes to normalcy, especially those damaged by the storm.

"What is most important and urgent is the safety and rescue efforts, and to ensure that the affected families have roofs over their heads," he stressed.

Lim noted that since this was an emergency, the state would not be calling for an open tender for contractors to work on the damaged roofs.

He added that the state would directly recall former contractors who had performed well to work on the damages.

He estimated about 260 cases of homes affected by fallen trees, and was awaiting more information on the matter.

'Be fair to Meteorological Dept'

When asked if the Meteorological Department had given early warning of the massive gale, Lim said that the incident was "totally unexpected".

"We have never seen such strong winds like this before, let’s be fair to the department," he said.

Describing it as "a normal procedure”, Lim added that the relevant departments like the Public Works and the local councils (for Penang and Seberang Perai) would be probing the incident to see if structures - such as the one on the Umno building - are safe.

"But let’s do this later, what is most foremost now is to undertake and complete safety and rescue efforts," he said.

Lim (right in photo) said he had met with the building owner and management to request their cooperation to remove the fallen beam as soon as possible.

"We believe they are doing their best. All relevant state government departments will cooperate to remove the debris so that everything will go back to normal soon.

"There are several areas - not only in Macalister Road - affected by electricity and water cuts; we are doing our best to bring the situation back to normal. Hopefully, it can be done by today," he added.

"We are aware that prolonged water cuts can lead to diseases and we are trying to prevent that from happening," Lim stressed.