KUALA TERENGGANU, Nov 24 — The government has urged all district disaster management committees (JPBD) involved in flood-relief efforts to immediately check and verify the list of household heads housed in temporary relief centres (PPS).

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Functions) Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said this is to enable the government, through the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma), to promptly distribute the RM1,000 compassionate aid (BWI) to each affected household head.

“So, it is advisable to fill out the forms, verify them and if there are Village Development and Security Committees (JKKK) in the localities, ensure that the JKKK comes and verifies the forms.

“Once verified, the JPBD can hand it over to the State Disaster Management Committee (JPBN).

“Nadma at the central level will leave it to JPBN to decide and confirm the list,” he told newsmen after a visit to the relief centre at Sekolah Kebangsaan Atas Tol here, which, as of this evening, is housing 333 flood victims from 87 families.

Armizan said Nadma has also channelled basic aid to relevant agencies at the state level as an initial allocation that could be disbursed directly to the affected household heads if the situation required it.

Separately, Armizan urged all relevant agencies at the state level and Nadma to monitor and ensure that the incident in which an elderly man was arrested for allegedly committing sexual assault against two seven-year-old girls at a relief centre in the Kuala Nerus district does not recur.

“We will not compromise with what happened. We will monitor and if there are complaints, we will take strict action to ensure the safety of all parties, especially flood victims at relief centres,” he said.

Yesterday, Terengganu police chief Datuk Mazli Mazlan said the 61-year-old suspect, who was also a flood victim at the same centre, was arrested following two police reports lodged by the families of the two victims.

In another development, Armizan, who is also the Acting Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost Of Living said the government has appointed 86 selected district wholesalers and 162 selected district retailers in Terengganu who will be allowed to store controlled controlled items stock exceeding 30 per cent of the licenced storage limit as emergency preparations to face the flood season.

He said this was to ensure that supplies of controlled items such as cooking oil and wheat flour were sufficient in flood-affected areas. — Bernama