RM10m more for Sarawak committee
MIRI: Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg has announced an additional allocation of RM10 million for the State Disaster Management Committee (JPBN) to aid in the ongoing flood relief efforts in the state.
With this allocation, he said JPBN would be able to distribute aid to all affected areas.
“There is already an allocation for JPBN, but I am adding another RM10 million so they can assist all affected areas,” he said on Friday after visiting the Malaysian Red Crescent temporary relief centre, which is sheltering residents of Kampung Lereng Bukit who were displaced by a landslide three days ago.
He said the floods in Sarawak were not due to drainage issues, but the impact of climate change.
“The floods are caused by an extraordinary rainfall over the past few days, followed by continuous rain, which coincided with the high tide phenomenon.”
He also said the flooding in Bintulu was the worst in 30 years and drew parallels between the floods in Sarawak and the wildfires in California, attributing both disasters to climate change.
According to the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma), Sarawak remains the hardest-hit state, with 13,302 victims from 3,906 families seeking shelter in 71 centres across 17 affected districts up to 4pm yesterday.
Bintulu recorded the highest number of evacuees at 4,811, with a slight decrease in the figure.
Other affected districts include Serian (2,597, increasing), Selangau (1,056, stable), Asajaya (860, decreasing) and Tatau (727, stable).
Areas like Siburan (623, stable), Miri (526, stable) and Subis (505, increasing) have seen a mix of increasing and stable numbers, while some districts like Sebuyau (429, increasing) and Simunjan (180, increasing) reported rises in displaced families.
Sabah, meanwhile, recorded 1,702 victims from 563 families, with 14 centres operating across five districts. This includes Pitas (806 evacuees, stable)
Other affected districts include Lahad Datu (514, stable), Paitan (215, increasing) and Beaufort (110, stable).
Paitan and Lahad Datu have seen a rise in the number of evacuees, while other districts like Beluran and Kota Marudu have experienced minimal changes
The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) said a monsoon surge was expected from Tuesday to Friday, potentially bringing heavy and continuous rainfall to Sabah and Sarawak.
In a statement, it said analysis of the latest weather forecasting models indicated that the surge could lead to adverse weather conditions in the affected areas.
In response, MetMalaysia has issued a strong wind and rough sea warning for South China Sea waters, which will be in effect during the same period.