Food for forward supply bases must follow spec — Fatimah
KUCHING: Suppliers of emergency relief food for flood victims in Sarawak have been reminded to strictly adhere to the specifications when delivering supplies to the forward supply bases provided by the Sarawak Welfare Department.
Minister of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah said they should uphold high discipline in fulfilling their duties by not supplying expired food.
She warned that every item would be examined by the officers at the forward supply bases to make sure that the food they received is not expired.
“The expiry date for every food item must be more than six months from the date of delivery because the food stocks are to be kept at the mini depot for at least six months.
“We will be very strict in accepting every item, especially canned food,” she told a press conference at the Sarawak Welfare Department headquarters here yesterday.
Fatimah said the officers at the forward supply bases were also reminded to only accept food that had its expiry date within the next six months or more.
She said some 165 suppliers had been identified to supply relief food to the forward supply bases throughout Sarawak.
She said as the Sarawak government wanted to give only clean and healthy food to the flood victims, the officers at the supply bases must also check the expiry date of every item before they are given away to the victims.
Fatimah also advised donors to ensure that the food items they give away through the forward supply bases are not expired.
“On our part, we will make sure that all food including from donors will be examined before receiving and distribution,” she said.
According to her, 16 forward supply bases would be provided as Sarawak braces for the rainy season.
Sarawak is expected to receive heavier showers in the next five months, from November to March next year, following the arrival of the northeast monsoon in the state.
The forward supply bases will be in Kuching (2), Kapit (4), Bintulu (3) and Miri (7).
Fatimah revealed that a pack of food items for one to two flood victims for a week’s supply consists of rice (5kg), sugar (1kg), salt (1kg), instant noodles (10 packets), coffee and tea (1 packet each), dry biscuit (2 packets 250-500g), canned food (5 small size cans of various types), cooking oil (1 500ml bottle) and drinking water (1 box).
She said if there are 10 people in the family they would get five of the packets.
“We are doing it this way now because there are big and small families. If we give the same quantity of food relief to every family, then it is not fair for the bigger family,” she said.
Fatimah said the State Welfare Department was also on standby and ready to activate 610 flood evacuation centres across the state that could accommodate a total of 203,960 people.
Assistant Minister of Community Wellbeing Datuk Francis Harden Holis and Sarawak Welfare Department director Joni Naruddin were present at the press conference.