KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 16 — In anticipation of the year-end monsoon season, the federal government will be increasing the solidarity fund (BWI) for households that are usually affected by the stormy weather, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today.

He announced that each household in the east coast of the peninsula as well as Johor, Sabah and Sarawak, will receive RM1,000 this time, up from the previous RM500 aid.

"The money is to ease the public’s burden and not as compensation for damages. This is an approach the government is taking to be prepared for the East Coast monsoon that is expected to hit in early November 2021 until the end of March 2022 involving the east coast states, Johor, Sabah and Sarawak,” he said in a statement today.

Roughly 39,100 homes are expected to benefit from this scheme which will be paid to the head of each household.

Ismail Sabri also said the Natural Disaster Management Agency for Sabah will receive an allocation of RM18,241,250.

The money will be used for 2,000 food kits (RM160,000), 2,500 unit C-Tent’s (RM961,250), agency operations (RM20,000), operation costs for 22 district disaster management agencies (RM1.1 million) and operation costs for Covid-19 management in Sabah (RM16 million).

A further RM9.5 million from the Natural Disaster Relief Fund will be channelled towards relief efforts.

He urged NGOs and voluntary bodies to get permission from the local authorities before helping out in order to make the process smooth and more systematic.

"We urge all the agencies involved to share their assets with one another in each state by also involving the corporate bodies apart from government organisations and individuals.

"In the meantime I advise everyone to be consistent with their planning and plan ways to improve their natural disaster management through projects that are beneficial,” added Ismail Sabri.