PITAS, Nov 12 — A total of 8,481 relief centres, which can accommodate over 2.1 million people, have been set up to prepare for the floods during the Northeast Monsoon season.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Functions) Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said of the total, 332 relief centres capable of accommodating 129,096 people are located in Sabah.

“We want to take proactive action in the national disaster response (and) every year, we make preparations, including the crucial component of establishing relief centres. We want to be well-prepared to face any possibility during this monsoon season,” he told reporters today.

He was met after officiating at the ground-breaking ceremony for the Pitas district Permanent Evacuation Centre (PPKB) and inspecting the Rahmah Sales Programme here.

On Nov 7, Malaysian Meteorological Department director-general Muhammad Helmi Abdullah said four to six episodes of heavy rain are predicted during the Northeast Monsoon season, which is expected from Nov 11 until March 2024.

Meanwhile, Armizan said the construction of the PPKB in Pitas is the first of its kind in Sabah and is one of the nine centres to be built by the federal government, as announced in the Budget 2024.

He said that the Pitas district PPKB involved a cost of RM6.9 million and could accommodate a minimum of 500 people.

“The construction of the PPKB aims to provide permanent infrastructure for victims seeking temporary shelter. It will have better facilities compared to temporary relief centres.

“This centre will be equipped with facilities such as accommodation halls, toilets, bedrooms, laundry areas, kitchens and a designated dining area for women, administration and staff room, food storage, basic necessity storage, treatment room and prayer room,” he said.

In addition to the PPKB initiative, he said the National Disaster Management Agency would collaborate with the State Disaster Management Committee for the implementation of minor repair projects and upgrading of toilets, bathrooms and storage facilities in existing relief centres in stages.

When tabling the Budget 2024 on Oct 13, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the government would provide PPKB in nine states frequently affected by floods, including Sabah and Sarawak. — Bernama