Ministry to give food, cash aid to flood victims

Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry offices in affected areas to open daily as operation centres for aid monitoring.

PUTRAJAYA: The Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry (MOA) has allocated RM362,000 in aid to be channeled immediately to flood victims, especially those who were in the worst affected areas. Its minister, Ismail Sabri Yaakob, said the aid comprised 12,000 sacks of 5kg-rice; frozen fish worth RM30,000; 10,000 bottles of mineral water; 50,000 eggs; and cash of RM140,000 to purchase other basic necessities. He said besides working with the Malaysian Armed Forces to send food aid to victims in places where communication had been cut off, the ministry had also mobilised all its agencies to help the victims.

“Since the first day the floods hit Kelantan, the MOA, through its agency, the Kemubu Agricultural Development Authority (KADA), had mobilised its machinery to send food aid, such as rice, poultry, meat and noodles, to the victims at flood relief centres. All other agencies under the MOA, including the Farmer’s Organisation Authority (LPP), Federal Agriculture Marketing Authority (FAMA), National Farmers Association (NAFAS) and National Fishermen’s Association (NEKMAT), had also been directed to provide aid to the victims,” he said in statement here today.

Among the relief centres involved were in Pasir Mas, Kubang Kerian, Tumpat, and Rantau Panjang.

To smoothen the process of distributing aid, Ismail Sabri said the MOA would become the coordinator for all flood aid collection centres in Kelantan, Pahang, Terengganu, and Perak. He said the agriculture offices in those affected areas would also be open daily as operation centres for aid monitoring, whereas the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (MADA) had sent immediate help to flood affected areas in Kedah and Perlis.

“We will also mobilise fishermen to send food supplies to flood relief centres as most of the affected areas could not be accessed by land vehicles,” he added.

– BERNAMA