KUALA TERENGGANU: Fifteen permanent flood relief centres equipped with basic facilities are being built nationwide, says National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) deputy director-general (post-disaster) Hussain Moh.
He said the centre at SK Seri Medan, Johor, was expected to be the first to be completed in January 2026.
"At present, we are only building one centre for each state as a pilot project but in Terengganu, there are two, namely upgrading the existing temporary relief centres and building a new one.
"The permanent facility at SK Banggol Peradong is expected to be completed by July 2026, while the temporary shelter at SK Matang has been upgraded and may be used if flooding occurs this monsoon season," he told reporters after the handover of the Terengganu state disaster command centre (SDCC) here on Wednesday (Dec 10).
The SDCC is part of the government's ongoing efforts to strengthen disaster preparedness and ensure more efficient and systematic management, involving cooperation from all parties at the state level to protect lives and property.
Hussain said that the construction of each permanent facility involves an average cost of RM8mil, depending on site conditions and the needs of each state.
He said that once completed, each would be able to house up to 500 flood victims, ensuring comfort and efficient management.
Hussain said that the capacity was set to allow comfortable use of the facilities, covering staff rest sections, dining facilities, surau and medical treatment zones that are disabled- and elderly-friendly.
He added that this could also reduce reliance on schools as temporary shelters, helping to avoid disruption to school sessions, particularly during examination periods.
"We do not want to disrupt schools where possible, since more than 50% of temporary shelters are in schools. When floods occur, it affects lessons and examinations such as the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia, which is why we are building permanent centres to reduce the disruption," he said.
Hussain, in the meantime, said that Nadma, together with all relevant agencies, including the state and district disaster management committees, had been on full alert to deal with any potential flooding.
Meanwhile, the Terengganu Prime Minister's Department Implementation Coordination Unit said in a statement that the government had allocated a total of RM26.5mil for disaster management in Terengganu, particularly in preparation for the Northeast Monsoon each year.
It said this included basic infrastructure repair works, involving 317 small-scale projects worth RM200,000 and below across Terengganu. – Bernama
