KUCHING, Jan 18 — The Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) will start distributing food items to about 73,000 households in Sibu Division affected by the movement control order (MCO) on Wednesday, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said today.
He said the distribution will be handled by the Sibu Division Disaster Management Committee (SDDMC), which will be assisted by the police, Fire and Rescue Department, local councils and village development and security committees.
“The Resident’s Office of Sibu Division will work together with the district offices of Sibu, Kanowit and Selangau to identify all households affected,” Awang Tengah, who is also the SDMC’s supply chain food subcommittee chairman, told reporters after chairing the subcommittee meeting earlier today.
Awang Tengah said he does not want to see any household left out from receiving the food items.
He said the food items will be distributed in stages to the households affected by the two-week-long MCO.
He added that the food distribution will strictly comply with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) decided by SDMC.
“I have told the relevant agencies to plan the distribution properly as it involves remote areas or where they have to use logging tracks,” he said.
He said in areas that are not accessible by roads, the services of helicopters will be acquired.
Awang Tengah said there will be enough food items to be distributed to all affected households.
He said this is the assurance given by the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumers Affairs office in the state.
“What is important is that during the period MCO, from January 16 to 29, food assistance will be delivered to the affected households,” he added.
