Welfare Department presents aid to Rh Lorie fire victims
KAPIT: The Welfare Department handed out aid totalling RM307,500 to 39 families from Rumah Lorie Lebak, Nanga Ibau, Batang Rajang, who lost everything to a fi re last month.
Kapit welfare officer Peter Gabong presented the aid on Tuesday.
The aid included building materials ( RM5,000 per door), kitchenware ( RM700 per door), school stationery ( RM100 per student), school uniforms ( RM100 per student), daily expenses ( RM200 per head), food rations ( RM50 per head for one week), and bedding ( RM100 per adult).
Kapit District administrative officer Bidah Lujah called on the affected families to work very closely with the village security and development committee (JKKK).
“The process to rebuild the longhouse is time consuming and costly. My advice to the affected families is to stay united and fully cooperate with the JKKK and tuai rumah to face the challenges ahead.
“The process to clean the debris of the gutted longhouse, to erect a temporary home, and fi nally the longhouse is time consuming,” he said.
Temenggong Wilfred Billy Panyau advised the recipients to use the money wisely.
“The Sarawak state government cares about the people in need of help. Please use the money wisely to reconstruct your new house.
“Use the money given by the government to buy building materials.
“Don’t use the money to buy motorcycles for the children or freezers because that defeats the objective of the government aid,” he said.
The 39-door longhouse was razed to the ground on April 21, leaving its 236 residents homeless.