Armizan: 8,481 flood relief centres on standby

Row row row your boat: Fauzin Mohd, 46, with his son Muhd Muizuddin Fauzin, 9, paddling through floodwaters in a makeshift raft at Matang Pasir Changkat Lobak in Bagan Serai, Perak, last Monday.

PITAS: A total of 8,481 relief centres, which can accommodate over 2.1 million people, have been set up to prepare for the floods during the northeast monsoon season.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Functions) Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, said of the total, 332 relief centres capable of accommodating 129,096 people are located in Sabah.

“We want to take proactive action in the national disaster response, (and) every year, we make preparations, including the crucial component of establishing relief centres. We want to be well prepared to face any possibility during this monsoon season,” he told reporters yesterday, according to Bernama.

He was met after officiating the ground-breaking ceremony for the Pitas district Permanent Evacuation Centre (PPKB) and inspecting the Rahmah Sales Programme here.

On Nov 7, Malaysian Meteorological Department director-general Muhammad Helmi Abdullah said four to six episodes of heavy rain are predicted during the northeast monsoon season from Nov 11 until March 2024.

Meanwhile, Armizan said the construction of the PPKB in Pitas is the first of its kind in Sabah and is one of nine centres to be built by the Federal Government, as announced in Budget 2024.

He said the Pitas district PPKB involved a cost of RM6.9mil and could accommodate a minimum of 500 people.

“The construction of the PPKB aims to provide permanent infrastructure for victims seeking temporary shelter. It will have better facilities compared to temporary relief centres.

“This centre will be equipped with facilities such as accommodation halls, toilets, bedrooms, laundry areas, kitchens, a designated dining area for women, an administration and staff room, food storage, basic necessity storage, a treatment room and a prayer room,” he said.

In addition to the PPKB initiative, said Armizan, the National Disaster Management Agency will collaborate with the State Disaster Management Committee for the implementation of minor repair projects and the upgrading of toilets, bathrooms and storage facilities in existing relief centres in stages.

When tabling Budget 2024 on Oct 13, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the government would provide PPKB in nine states frequently affected by floods.

Xxxx: BAGAN SERAI, 11 Nov -- Mangsa banjir Fauzin Mohd, 46, (kiri) bersama anaknya Muhd Muizuddin Fauzin, 9, menaiki rakit di halaman rumahnya berikutan banjir yang berlaku sejak 6 November lalu ketika tinjauan FotoBernama di Matang Pasir Changkat Lobak hari ini. Kerajaan memperuntukkan RM77,500 kepada mangsa banjir di lima Pusat Pemindahan Sementara (PPS) membabitkan daerah Kerian dan Hilir Perak. --fotoBERNAMA (2023) HAK CIPTA TERPELIHARA