Aid, incentives for flood victims by previous govt to continue – Zahid

 

All the aid and incentives given by the previous government to flood victims will be continued, including the Bantuan Wang Ihsan (BWI) of RM1,000 to each household, said Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

He said the aid would only be given to the registered and eligible flood victims.

"This payment will be made soon before the flood recedes and (before) the victims return to their respective homes.

"Based on past experience, we found that the number of registered flood victims is not the same as the number of applications," he said after visiting flood victims at Sekolah Kebangsaan Gual Tok Deh today.

Also present were Kelantan Menteri Besar Ahmad Yakob, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Wilson Ugak Kumbong and Rantau Panjang MP Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff.

Zahid, who is also Rural and Regional Development Minister, said the government, together with the implementing agencies, will continue to take proactive measures to ensure the aid could be channelled smoothly and in an orderly manner.

Prior to this, the previous administration under Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that the government will contribute RM10,000 for each household affected by the floods in Terengganu and Kelantan.

He said the aid would include RM2,500 for the purchase of essential goods, a discount for vehicle repair discount, RM500 rebate for the purchase of electrical appliances and repair of houses damaged in the floods.

Zahid said the government is also committed to continuing any project that has been approved by the previous administration, such as flood mitigation, which will be implemented as soon as possible.

"During the special Parliament session this Dec 19, the government will table the emoluments and expenses for ongoing projects," he said.

On damaged roads in the rural areas, Zahid said the matter was being coordinated for immediate implementation by the ministry.

- Bernama