SERIAN: Flood victims in Sarawak who choose to remain in their homes must inform the district and divisional disaster operation rooms to ensure their status is recorded and assessed accordingly.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas noted that some flood victims claimed they were ineligible for the RM1,000 flood relief aid because they chose to shelter at their relatives’ homes instead of a temporary relief centre (PPS).
However, he stressed that authorities need to know the exact situation on the ground to make necessary considerations.
“If they have valid reasons for not evacuating, we will take them into account.
“But they must inform the operation room so their status can be registered and evaluated by district and divisional officials before being reported to our headquarters,” he said.
He told the media this after visiting the temporary evacuation centre (PPS) at Ranchan Multipurpose Hall here Saturday (Feb 1).
Uggah explained that while reasonable grounds for not evacuating could be considered, the government could not promise compensation at this stage, as doing so might discourage people from moving to safety.
As such, he reiterated that evacuation remains the priority as authorities seek to prevent loss of life.
“The problem is, if they don’t evacuate and something happens — such as rising floodwaters — we will be held responsible. Our top priority is to save lives and ensure safety,” he stressed.
Uggah, who also chairs the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC), cited recent incidents in Bintulu, where nearly 2,000 residents were evacuated to a crowded relief centre, as well as in Tatau and Selangau, where some longhouse residents refused to leave despite warnings.
“We have instructed our teams to persuade them to move. If anything happens later, we will be blamed,” he added.
Addressing concerns over property security, Uggah assured that law enforcement agencies, including the police and the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM), would monitor flood-affected areas to prevent theft and looting.
