TENOM, May 24 — Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Hajiji Noor assured that the state government will provide assistance to victims pending assessment of damages incurred to their properties and crops during the flood here.

"I came here to see for myself the situation here and I can see a lot of houses affected and many people displaced,” he said when met at Dewan Sri Ontoros in Kemabong, today.

Hajiji said the district natural disaster committee chaired by the district officer will be making the assessment on properties and crops damages caused by the biggest flood ever experienced here.

"The reports will be submitted to the state government. We will look at it and provide assistance,” he said, adding that the victims would also be aided in terms of food supply.

Briefing Hajiji during his visit were Kemabong Assemblyman Datuk Rubin Balang and District Officer Sungkim Rumangun.

Also present were Sabah Assistant Public Works Minister Datuk Robert Tawik and State Secretary Datuk Safar Untong.

Later, the Chief Minister went to Beaufort where he was briefed on the flood assistance and also presented assistance to the victims there.

Meanwhile, according to a statement from Sabah Disaster Management Committee Secretariat, the number of flood victims in the state remains at 4,999 from 1,424 families as of 12 noon today.

The flood victims, who are in the Tenom and Beaufort districts, are housed at 41 relief centres (PPS), which were opened in stages since last Thursday.

According to the statement, Tenom still recorded the highest number of flood victims at 4,396 people involving 1,269 families at 37 PPS, while Beaufort has 603 victims at four PPS. — Bernama