KUALA LUMPUR: All victims of the December floods will receive their compassionate aid payment soon after the general election.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the aid would be channelled to the state governments, which would then prepare the aid distribution schedule.

“There is a slight delay in the distribution of the aid because of the election. But it will be distributed to those who are eligible based on the list provided,” he said in a statement.

Najib, who is National Disaster Management Committee chairman, said a total of RM48.72mil had been distributed to the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry, state governments and the Kelantan Federal Development Department to help flood victims.

For the loss of income aid, the Government has decided to give RM500 to each family, and a total of RM25.507mil had been channelled to seven states for this purpose, including Kelantan, which received the most at RM11.157mil.

As for the loss of padi revenue, a total of RM13.80mil had been channelled to padi farmers, while the aid for the loss of agricultural sub-sector revenue, totalling RM9.123mil, would be distributed in the near future.

The Government also decided to give RM1,100 to those whose houses were inundated in 1.52m of water during the floods, and RM700 if the level was below that.

He said apart from the compassionate aid for the flood victims, the Government had also approved similar aid to the victims of the Jan 28 storm in Kerian district, totalling RM105,000.

The Government had also decided to provide similar aid, totalling RM80,700, to caged-fish farmers who suffered losses due to the storm and high tide in Tanjung Dawai and Langkawi.

The deputy prime minister said a total of RM1.896mil had also been approved for the victims of the floods which occurred in Yan and Pendang, Kedah, in September and October last year. – Bernama

source: theStar