Ministry to help Penang with waste management

PUTRAJAYA: The Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Ministry will help Penang with its post-flood solid waste management.

This was despite the state government’s refusal to adopt the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007, said its minister, Tan Sri Noh Omar.

“Without the act, solid waste in Penang is technically managed by the state government. But my ministry has agreed to help because we care about the flood victims. I don’t think we should politicise the bad flood situation,” he said after the launch of his ministry’s Innovation Day celebration yesterday.

Noh said he had discussed the matter with Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng while visiting firemen on duty in flood-hit areas on Monday.

“He asked the ministry to help in terms of cleaning up roads and removing fallen trees. He asked for backhoes and the Fire and Rescue Department to send lorries to remove garbage.”

Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek said his ministry’s flood monitoring team had submitted its initial report, which stated that more than 5,900 padi farmers were believed to have been affected by the floods that ravaged the northern states.

He said 10,516.73ha of padi fields were flooded in Penang and Kedah.

“To ease farmers’ plight, the ministry, via a disaster committee comprising the Agriculture Department and those in the Integrated Agricultural Development Area, is assessing the number of farmers affected.

“The ministry will provide aid under the ‘padi replanting aid per hectare programme’ once the committee has finalised its assessment.”

Based on initial estimates with regard to affected areas, Shabery said RM9.3 million would be allocated for the aid programme.

In London, Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said yesterday his ministry would work with the Penang government to ensure that the tourism industry in the state was not affected.

“If the places that are affected have tourist products, we will work with the state government and provide help as soon as possible to restore the affected area.”

In Kuala Lumpur, MIC Youth chief Datuk C. Sivarraajh said the wing had activated the MIC Youth Disaster Aid Centre to help flood relief operations in Penang and Kedah.

He said a team of 100 trained volunteers and a medical team had been assigned to the two states.

Malindo Air announced that it was offering aid to non-profit organisations that required air transport to deliver relief items to Penang.

Its chief executive officer, Chandran Rama Muthy, said those requiring air transport support for relief items should send requests to pr.communications@malindoair.com.

Bernama reported that the National Service Training Department would send its volunteer brigade to Penang to help the state in its post-flood cleaning up.

Its director-general, Datuk Mohmed Asri Yusof, said the brigade would concentrate on schools and roads.