KOTA KINABALU: An additional 300 food baskets worth RM30,000 will be distributed to flood victims in Penampang, said its member of parliament Datuk Ewon Benedick.
The Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Minister said these were added to the Penampang District Disaster Committee’s 200 food baskets, which will be delivered to those stranded at home.
Speaking while visiting the temporary evacuation centre at the Sabah Cultural Centre in Penampang on Monday (July 1), he added that the number of evacuees had increased from 129 to 165 as of noon.
Apart from the food baskets, Benedick also donated RM20,000 to his alma mater Sekolah Menengah St Michael in Penampang to restore and clean classrooms and compounds affected by the floods.
“After visiting the flood victims at the temporary evacuation centre, I took the time to visit my old school, SM St. Michael, and met with the principal and teachers. I made the donation to clean and restore the school grounds,” he said.
SM St Michael was among six schools ordered closed in Penampang, and among 10 schools in four districts because of the flood, which has affected over 5,000 students and teachers.
Ewon, who visited several victims trapped at their houses, learned from them that this was the worst flood since the 1999 disaster.
He also thanked Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor for the RM1,000 aid to each household relocated to the evacuation centre and gas stove equipment to families that are stranded at their homes.
Benedick also said that the electricity problem at the Penampang Polyclinic has been addressed, adding that he has asked Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) to send a generator to restore the power supply there.
“During my one-day survey in the Penampang area, I found that many houses still lacked water and electricity. The Kasigui water pump station is currently unable to supply water. Likewise, several SESB electricity substations have not yet been restored.
“The District Office and related technical departments will assess the damage to infrastructure caused by the floods,” he said.
