BALING: Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor today issued a public apology over the Baling flood tragedy last week which ravaged 12 villages and claimed the life of three people, including a pregnant woman in Kupang.
On behalf of the state government, Sanusi offered the apology if the tragedy was the result of the mistakes of his predecessors.
"We are cleaning the old sins. We (the current state government) are working to clean up these old sins so that you (floods victims) can move on with life.
"If the incident was caused by the work of the previous leaders who led the state government before us, on behalf of the state government, I wish to apologise," Sanusi said in his speech before presenting home rental aid to 17 families who lost their homes in the floods at the Baling District Office here today.
However, Sanusi stressed that he did not believe that the errors made by his predecessors were done intentionally.
"I do not believe that the mistakes were intentional, to create a disaster during our time now.
"On behalf of the state government, I wish to apologise to everyone here and all victims affected by the mud floods recently," he said.
Sanusi added that besides the possible mistakes done by the previous administrations, the incident was also part of fate.
"Similar incidents (water surges and floods) also took place in Gunung Jerai where there was no logging activity," he said.
Sanusi later presented RM3,000 cash aid to each of the families to pay for six months' house rental after their houses were destroyed by the strong currents.
He said RM400 of the cash aid was meant to pay their rental fee while the remaining RM100 monthly cash aid was for the utilities.
In the July 4 incident, 12 villages were inundated after strong currents were triggered by a water column gushing down from Gunung Inas.
Over 800 homes were damaged in the worst floods tragedy in Kupang, with at least 17 houses destroyed and 18 badly damaged.
A woman who was four months into her first pregnancy, her mother-in-law and 14-year-old brother-in-law were all killed when their house was swept away by the strong currents. - NST
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