Wong says this would ensure a transparent distribution of the flood aids, hence preventing speculation and public distrust.
SIBU (March 28): The Sibu Resident Office and the Sibu Disaster Relief Committee (SDRC) need to come up with proper guidelines to enable flood victims here to claim their aid.
In making this call, Sibu MP Oscar Ling’s special assistant Irene Wong said this would ensure a transparent distribution of the flood aid, hence preventing speculation and public distrust.
“Hopefully, the relevant authorities would come up with the guidelines soon to prevent further confusion over the procedures and operations concerning the flood aid distribution,” she said in a statement.
According to Wong, she had recently received complaints from flood victims regarding the list of recipients compiled by the local community leaders.
She said some people whose names were on the lists did not actually stay at the flood relief centres, while others who did stay at the centres could not find their names on the lists.
She stated that based on the Resident Office regulations, only those who had stayed at the relief centres during the recent floods are eligible for assistance.
In this regard, Wong questioned the criteria used by the local leaders in collecting names as this had caused confusion and concern among the public.
She thus called for a more inclusive aid policy, allowing flood victims who were unable to stay at the relief centres to also receive the assistance.
“SDRC ought to define clearly the application criteria to ensure a transparent, fair, and just process.
“If there are no clear standard, the public has the right to question whether there could be potential misuse of the disaster relief funds or if the aid is being prioritised for specific groups.”
Many flood victims experienced losses after the worst flood in the past decade struck their areas. Many homes were submerged, and cars and motorcycles were damaged, severely impacting people’s lives and economic well-being.
After the floods, Wong said many affected residents visited Oscar Ling’s service centre to enquire about the aid application process.
“There were even rumours that some individuals had already received the flood aids, causing confusion among the public.
“People are not asking whether the aid is open to all flood victims, and if it is, what are the eligibility criteria and how can the victims apply for it?”