SIBU: Assistance for flood victims who are not registered at temporary evacuation centres (PPS) will depend on the discretion of the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) in each respective area, said Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
Abang Johari was responding to allegations that only flood victims registered at PPS receive aid, while those staying with their relatives are not eligible.
“We leave it to the administrative authorities. Each division has a Resident to assess the situation, and the final decision will be made by Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas as the chairman of SDMC. This will all be based on discretion.
“If they are not severely affected, we should prioritise families who have suffered significant losses, such as the destruction of their belongings. This will be handled by the secretariat,” he said.
Abang Johari said this when met by reporters after a Chinese New Year visit to Councillor Raymond Tiong here today.
He added that, as previously announced, the Sarawak government has allocated an additional RM10 million in aid.
“If the amount is insufficient, we will consider the recommendations from SDMC and discuss the matter in the Cabinet,” he said.
Meanwhile, commenting on the flood situation here, Abang Johari noted that the town was faring better compared to other divisions.
“Usually, during the flood season, Sibu is one of the worst-affected areas. However, this time, it seems to be less severe. There is flooding, but it is not as bad as in Miri and Bintulu.
“I also observed that the people of Sibu are still able to enjoy the Chinese New Year festivities to some extent,” he added.
During a Chinese New Year visit to Bukit Assek assemblyman Joseph Chieng Jin Ek, Abang Johari said they had discussed improving some of the roads in Sibu.
“This includes the new road from Sibu Jaya to Lanang, known as Jalan Kong Yit Khim. As this new road has led to congestion on Jalan Salim, we will review the new road infrastructure being developed in Sibu,” he said.
