KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 20 — The Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities will provide appropriate assistance to smallholders affected by the floods that hit several states in the country, said its minister Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin.

She told Bernama that the ministry had raised funds through an initiative under the corporate social responsibility (CSR) for the purpose.

Zuraida, who is president of the Foundation of Women Community in Sports Malaysia (Fowcus), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that promotes women’s involvement in sports, said this when met after officiating the foundation today.

She said the floods, which hit Pahang, Kelantan, Melaka, Perak, Negri Sembilan, Terengganu and Selangor, would not have a major impact on the country's commodity sector, especially palm oil and rubber.

"However, it will slightly affect the workers and operation, like problems managing the plantation,” she added. — Bernama