KOTA KINABALU: The 189 families who lost their homes in the Lembaga Padi fire in Inanam would be relocated to Telipok Ria apartments, beginning today, Oct 25.
Jainab presenting assistance to one of the fire victims at the Likas multipurpose hall evacuation centre while Yeo and others look on.
Karambunai assemblywoman Datuk Jainab Ahmad Ayid said it is part of the government’s efforts to lighten the burden of the fire victims as well as to ensure that they would live in a better place.
She said the government was concerned about their needs and by providing them with shelter, it would at least ease their burden.
She said the City Hall will help the victims move their belongings from the evacuation centres, including the Likas multipurpose hall, to the Telipok Ria apartments.
“We have discussed with the Local Government and Housing Ministry to provide the houses in Telipok Ria to be rented to the 189 families who are Malaysian citizens.
“However, the payment of housing deposit will be delayed to give them time to recover from their losses,” she said when presenting assistance to the fire victims at the multipurpose hall in Likas yesterday.
During the event, Jainab presented 200 bags of rice to 50 families or 345 people.
Jainab, who is also Assistant Resource Development and Information Technology Minister, said the affected families would rent the houses at RM124 per month and if they are qualified under the e-Kasih programme, the rental would be waived and borne entirely by the government.
“Besides, we are also discussing with Yayasan Sabah to provide school necessities as well as to get financial assistance from the Zakat centre and Baitulmal, ” she said.
She said losses in the fire that occurred on Oct 18, where 40 houses were razed, leaving some 200 families or 1,076 people homeless, were estimated at RM2.2 million.
Jainab expressed her gratitude to the various government agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including the Welfare Department and the Fire and Rescue Department for their immediate action to put out the fire.
When commenting on the preventive measures taken by the local authority to ensure that the squatter houses would not be rebuild, she said the Kota Kinabalu City Hall would discuss with the land owner(s) to fence the area.
Also present was director-general of City Hall Datuk Yeo Boon Hai.