KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 18 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will travel to Sabah tomorrow to observe the flood situation.
“I’m going tomorrow,” Anwar said briefly to the media after officiating the 46th General Assembly of the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur today.
The flood situation in Sabah has worsened, with the number of evacuees at temporary relief centres recorded at 3,134 people from 916 families this morning, compared with 2,919 people from 814 families yesterday evening.
In a statement today, the Sabah State Disaster Management Committee (JPBN) said evacuees are housed at 27 relief centres across six districts: Beaufort, Membakut, Penampang, Papar, Putatan and Sipitang.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today travelled to Papar, Membakut, and Bongawan to visit residents affected by floods and landslides.
Zahid arrived at the temporary relief centre at SMK St Patrick at 9.30am and spent about 30 minutes meeting with evacuees and handing out essential supplies and cash aid to them.
He also visited residents sheltering at SMK Bongawan, the Bongawan Community Hall, and the Papar Community Hall.
He is scheduled to visit the landslide site in Kampung Mook, Papar, and meet villagers who have been relocated to the relief centre there.
Waris Dusun, 54, from Membakut, said he is grateful to the government for acting quickly to help flood victims.
“I was touched that Datuk Seri (Ahmad Zahid) came personally to see our situation. The assistance means a lot as I lost many belongings in the floods. Thank you very much to the government,” the farmer told Bernama.
Meanwhile, Aswani Eli Awang, 42, from Kinarut, whose home was damaged by a landslide, said she never thought the residents’ plight would be noticed by national leaders.
“We’ve been at the relief centre for almost a week and are anxious about the homes we left behind. The deputy prime minister’s visit reassured us that we’re not forgotten. The assistance is truly meaningful for my family, who have lost almost everything,” Aswani added.
