Entri (fourth left) presenting the aid to one of the recipients.
BELURU: The federal government has approved compassionate aid of over RM2 million for victims hit by three separate floods in Marudi and Telang Usan state constituencies between last year and the first quarter of this year.
Assistant Minister of Public Utilities (Water Supply) and Marudi assemblyman Datuk Sylvester Entri said this during the presentation of Wang Ehsan (compassionate aid) from the National Security Council at Beluru Community Hall yesterday.
He said there were 4,107 eligible recipients in Marudi district, including over 2,008 who received the RM500 cash aid in Beluru and 886 in Marudi with the rest in Long Lama and Bario.
“This is what the government is all about – helping the people in times of need and hopefully this would be reciprocated in the next election with another mandate,” he said.
Entri said the BN government had always been there for the people, delivering the goods in all seasons compared to the opposition who only instigated them by playing on NCR land issues, giving empty promises and rhetoric for political gain.
“There is a gulf of difference where the opposition’s promises remain unfulfilled while the government always delivers pledges made, and is always there for the people when flood, fire or other disasters strike,” he said.
Entri pointed to the rural water and electricity supply projects for longhouses throughout the constituency, saying they reflected the fulfilment of promises made to the people who gave their mandate.
On disasters affecting longhouses such as flood and fire, he said the government had never failed to respond with aid for victims by mobilising the Welfare Department, National Security Council and other agencies to alleviate their sufferings.
On fire disasters afflicting modern day longhouses, he said there was a need for greater fire safety awareness and better approach to keep the danger at bay.
A laboratory on longhouse fire safety in Marudi, including an annual competition among longhouses and villages in Marudi constituency, would be launched in Marudi Civic Centre on April 16.
About 150 longhouse chiefs and village representatives are expected to be present.
“This is not about prizes to be won but the prevention of fire which keep our property and valuables safe,” he said.
The competition is divided into five categories – traditional (wooden) longhouse, concrete permanent longhouse, village, 10 to 30-door longhouse and longhouses with 31 doors and above.
The top three winners in the village and longhouse between 10 and 30 doors for both traditional and concrete category get to win RM3,000, RM2,000 and RM1,000 plus a trophy each respectively.
In both the concrete and traditional longhouse above 31 doors categories, the prizes are RM5,000 for the champion, RM3,000 and RM2,000 for first and second runners-up respectively while the consolation prize is RM500.
“I want greater involvement of the village committee and longhouse folks as previous practices of sending a few for fire safety courses and fire extinguishers are not really effective, “he said.
Earlier on, district officer Mackos Sibong in his speech said the government was serious in weeding out malpractices in flood aid applications to ensure that only those eligible received the aid.
He said there had been malpractices detected and the authorities wanted to rope in the longhouse chiefs and village development and security committees to vet the applications to avoid dubious or double claims.