SANDAKAN, April 25 — Victims of the Kampung Bahagia fire here are appealing to the authorities to open more temporary relief centres (PPS), claiming they were unable to register as existing centres are already full and registration has been closed.
The lack of space at the eight centres currently in operation has resulted in some victims allegedly being left out of the registration list, forcing them to spend the night among the ruins of their homes.
One victim, Almahmud Muhamir, 37, said his application was rejected when he tried to register for the Batu Sapi People’s Housing Project Hall PPS yesterday.
“When I got there, I was told registration was no longer open. I couldn’t even put my name down, there were no forms and registration had already been closed. I referred the matter to the Village Development and Security Committee and the village head as instructed, but they were also at a loss,” the lorry driver, who is being forced to stay in a tent near his burnt home, said.
He said the delay in registering was not intentional, but due to the challenges of managing his family and dealing with the aftermath of the fire.
Meanwhile, Siti Norlin, 35, a teacher under the National Security Council (MKN), expressed disappointment that her basic details were not recorded by the centre’s management.
“I asked what they could do to help — at the very least, take down my name and identification number — but they didn’t. The management also could not confirm when the centre’s registration would reopen,” she said, adding that she worries she might miss out on initial aid from the state government.
Another victim, Jefrin Bakiri, 32, said the lack of space at a centre has forced him and his family to live out in the open under the scorching sun without even a tent for shelter.
“I went there at 11.30am, and many others were also trying to register but faced the same situation. I couldn’t register earlier because I was busy taking care of my children and dealing with the fire site,” the construction worker said.
The victims are now hoping for immediate government intervention to open additional facilities to ensure no citizens are left out of receiving proper shelter and financial aid.
The fire, which broke out on April 19, destroyed about 1,000 houses and displaced 9,007 residents of Kampung Bahagia.
