KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that the government has allocated additional funds for post-flood follow-up measures, which are expected to begin in the middle of this month.
He said that based on a report by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is the National Disaster Management Committee chairman, the flood water in some areas has started to recede.
"This (follow-up action) is something that we should be prepared for. If the water is receding, there is a responsibility to restore the situation, that's why we also provide additional allocations to repair schools, relief centres (PPS), toilet cleaning facilities and so on," he said at a monthly assembly with staff of the Prime Minister's Department here on Monday (Dec 2).
Also present were Deputy Prime Ministers, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, as well as Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar.
Yesterday, Anwar announced an additional immediate allocation for Kelantan and Terengganu, with RM25 million for each state, in the wake of the severe floods that hit them for repair of essential infrastructure such as roads and drainage systems, as well as raising road levels in Hulu Besut in Terengganu.
In describing the preparations to deal with the flood by all parties including the federal and state governments as exceptional this time, he said the post-flood follow-up actions also need to cover all affected areas throughout the country.
"DPM (Ahmad Zahid) reported earlier that there are some areas where the flood water has receded a little, but now flowing to Pahang and Johor, so it means that the preparedness is for the whole country.
"But it would be good for me to stress about the Cabinet and the government service, they all go down, every minister, the civil servants, the machinery is extraordinary.
"I see members of the Civil Defence Force (APM), health personnel and everyone in Setiu that we visited, their eyes were swollen, they didn't sleep enough... these are good stories that are sometimes not highlighted,” he said.
According to the Prime Minister, a total of 82,000 personnel from various agencies were deployed to flood locations across the country, in addition to the involvement of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), corporate bodies and individual volunteers who also came to help.
"I saw lorries bringing food from Penang. I happened to meet an individual from Bukit Mertajam. He is not from an NGO but manages 10 food trucks to be sent to Kelantan and informs ATM (Malaysian Armed Forces) to help coordinate.
"This is the strength of the Malaysian people. The individual from Penang is a Chinese. He thinks this is a mutual problem. Things like this should be highlighted to show the spirit of saving lives and helping our fellow men," he said. - Bernama
