Sweet tidings for 'kuih' seller
Kamri showing the items he received during the aid distribution ceremony by Najib in Kemaman. —
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KEMAMAN: Kuih seller Kamri Ngah is used to the ankle-high floods that hit Kampung Pengkalan Pandan here every year, but he was not prepared for the deluge that wiped out his house in the floods that struck Kemaman district last month.
“The whole house was submerged and I lost all my belongings,” said the father of seven, estimating his losses of furniture, electrical items and car to be around RM30,000.
His family was among 19,000 households in Terengganu who can breathe a little easy now as they each will receive a new refrigerator, 32-inch LED television, stove, mattress and pillows from the Govern-ment and well-wishers.
They will also get RM500 from the Federal Government and RM1,500 from the state government.
“I had not thought about replacing my damaged TV set and fridge as I had been more concerned about the more essential things, like my children’s books and uniforms.
“I am very grateful for the aid, which will ease my burden,” he said, adding that he would use the cash to buy a set of new furniture.
The TV sets were paid for through a special fund set up by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission while the refrigerators were contributed by Umno. The mattresses, pillows and stoves came from the Putera 1Malaysia Club.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak presented the aid to Kamri and the other affected families at a ceremony at Padang Astaka here yesterday.
He gave an assurance his government would always help the needy, even if they were supporters of the opposition.
Najib looking at one of the refrigerators to be given to the flood victims at the aid distribution ceremony in Kemaman.
Najib said that about RM480mil was needed to fund a flood mitigation system in Kemaman.
In KOTA BARU, Bernama reports that the number of evacuees in two flood-hit districts in Kelantan rose from 897 people on Saturday night to 1,050 people yesterday.
A Kelantan Fire and Rescue Department spokesman said Jeli had the most number of evacuees (999 people) who were placed at four flood relief centres.
In the Tanah Merah district, 51 flood victims were staying at SK Kulim.
