KUALA LUMPUR: The government has allocated additional funds for post-flood follow-up measures expected to start in mid-December, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The Prime Minister said that based on a report by his deputy Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who chairs the National Disaster Management Committee, floodwaters in some areas have started to recede.
“This (follow-up action) is something that we should be prepared for.
“If the floods are receding, there is a responsibility to restore the situation, that’s why we also provide additional funds to repair schools, flood relief centres, toilet-cleaning facilities and so on,” he said at the monthly assembly of the Prime Minister’s Department here yesterday, Bernama reported.
On Sunday, Anwar announced an additional RM50mil allocation to flood-hit Kelantan and Terengganu as emergency funds for the repair of vital infrastructure such as roads and drainage systems, and to raise road levels in Hulu Besut, Terengganu.
Describing the preparations to deal with the floods by all parties as exceptional this time, he said post-flood follow-up action was needed to cover all affected areas in the country.
He urged his ministers and civil servants to help out by checking on the flood situation, adding that there were those who made extraordinary efforts.
“I see members of the Civil Defence Force, health personnel and everyone in Setiu that we visited, their eyes were swollen, they didn’t sleep enough... these are stories that are sometimes not highlighted,” he said.
Anwar said 82,000 personnel from various agencies were deployed to flood locations across the country, in addition to the involvement of NGOs, corporate bodies and individual volunteers.
