‘GOVT HASN’T IGNORED EAST COAST STATES’
Govt has given RM8m in aid to flood victims in East Coast states, says Dr Wan Azizah
THE Pakatan Harapan (PH) government did not ignore Kelantan and Terengganu in the 2019 Budget, as claimed by certain quarters.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said the government had never ignored the states as it wanted all states to develop.
“There is no such thing (as the government ignoring Kelantan and Terengganu, as claimed by certain people). I was just given a briefing on the East-Coast Economic Region project, which is good for east coast states.
“I believe if all the menteris besar from Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan hear this, it will be good. There has been progress,” said Dr Wan Azizah who is the National Flood Disaster Management chairman.
She said this at a meeting on east coast flood preparations at Kompleks Kota Darulnaim here yesterday.
Dr Wan Azizah was commenting on a statement by Pas deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man who claimed that the 2019 Budget, presented by Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng, had ignored the East Coast, as it did not touch on development in the opposition-controlled states of Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang.
Dr Wan Azizah said the government had spent RM8.117 million on “wang ihsan” (aid) to flood victims in the East Coast states until last month.
She said the payment was given since the big flood in 2014 and of the amount, Terengganu recorded the highest payment of RM1.840 million, followed by Pahang (RM1.779 million) and Kelantan (RM4.498 million).
“Each family hit by the flood received RM500,” she said.
She said the government had approved another RM1.77 million for operations by the state Disaster Management Committee during the flood season.