KAPIT: Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi has called for the government to review the eligibility criteria for flood aid following a visit to several longhouses affected by recent floods in the Kapit Division.
He said many flood victims were not eligible for the RM1,000 Bantuan Wang Ihsan (BWI) from the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) simply because they were not relocated to temporary evacuation centres (PPS).
“Based on feedback from the flood victims, I hope and suggest that the authorities consider expanding or revising the aid criteria.
“Many affected residents did not evacuate because of transportation constraints, while others were afraid to leave their homes and belongings behind,” he said in a statement via his Facebook post today.
Nanta, who is also Kapit Member of Parliament, visited Rumah Gawan and Rumah Juin in Tatai Sempaong, Baleh on Saturday, where floodwaters had risen to over one metre from March 21 to 23.
He said that while the victims did receive dry food supplies, they were not entitled to the RM1,000 cash aid due to their decision to remain at home during the flood.
“I have received numerous complaints from residents regarding the matter.
“It’s not that they did not want to evacuate, but the lack of proper transport made it difficult for them to do so,” he said.
In light of this, Nanta proposed that even a partial cash aid of RM500 could help lighten the burden of families whose properties were damaged by the floods, even if they did not evacuate to PPS.
“I will raise this issue with the relevant authorities, including NADMA, to ensure that the affected residents are not left behind,” he added.
Earlier, Nanta also visited Rumah Kiong at Sungai Anggau here to inspect the reconstruction project of the ‘ruai’ (common area) section of seven doors of the longhouse, which was affected by a landslide.
“The project involves demolishing two of the longhouse’s doors, with residents having to be temporarily relocated to allow land-levelling works to take place.
“At present, financial allocation for the project is still under discussion, and I hope the work can begin as soon as possible, as the landslip poses a threat to the residents’ safety and there is a risk of further landslide occurring at any time,” he said.
