(Miri, 5th) Miri MP Chiew Choon Man urged the federal government during a parliamentary session to expedite the disbursement of disaster and landslide assistance funds and proposed establishing a unified system to ensure that all affected residents, including those not relocated to temporary evacuation centers (PPS), receive aid fairly.
Chiew Choon Man cited Article 18(1) of the Parliamentary Rules, formally proposing an emergency motion to discuss the recent floods and landslides in Sabah and Sarawak. He pointed out that since January 28, 16 areas in Sarawak and 9 in Sabah have suffered severe floods, resulting in property damage, economic loss, and loss of precious lives.
He expressed gratitude to the government for quickly announcing an allocation of RM25 million for repairing damaged infrastructure in Sabah and Sarawak but emphasized the need for transparent and efficient distribution of these funds to ensure that aid is implemented promptly.
He particularly focused on the RM1,000 assistance per household (BWI) distributed through the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA), urging the government to expedite the registration process for affected households to avoid delays due to complex procedures or mixed information.
He emphasized that disaster victims should receive equal treatment even if they have not moved to PPS.
"The reality is that many disaster victims choose to stay home due to a large number of family members, fear of theft, or mobility issues. Therefore, NADMA must establish clear SOPs to record all residents in affected areas to ensure fair distribution of aid."
He further suggested that the government:
1. Establish a central disaster management system to collect real-time emergency needs in each affected area, such as hygiene supplies, dry food, or cooked food, to ensure reasonable resource allocation.
2. Create a unified assistance distribution platform to systematically record and manage donations from individuals, associations, and businesses, reducing uneven distribution of aid.
3. Strengthen collaboration among government agencies, such as the Civil Defense Force (APM), Social Welfare Department (JKM), etc., to enhance the efficiency of aid delivery to ensure resources are quickly delivered to disaster victims.
4. Precision data management to thoroughly record affected family information for targeted post-disaster support and ensure no household is omitted.
Addressing the landslide issue in Kampung Lereng Bukit, Miri, Chiew questioned why a tragedy occurred on January 29 in an area already labeled high-risk.
He noted that the landslide claimed five lives and urged the government to act quickly to prevent similar tragedies. Regarding the state government's suggestion to relocate residents to safer areas, he stated that some residents prefer building retaining walls and improving drainage systems instead of comprehensive relocation.
Thus, he called for the Department of Mineral and Geosciences Malaysia (JMG) to conduct a comprehensive geological survey to provide scientific evidence for the best solution.
If relocation is necessary, the federal Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) should provide housing grants, incentives, or financial support to ease the economic burden on affected residents.
If slope mitigation is adopted, the government should allocate funds for slope stabilization, infrastructure improvement, and early warning system installation to ensure resident safety.
Chiew emphasized that the central and state governments must closely cooperate, especially between district administrative offices and related government agencies, to ensure comprehensive integration of aid data, avoid overlooking any families, and ensure timely distribution of food, drinking water, clothing, and medical assistance to affected residents.
Chiew Choon Man cited Article 18(1) of the Parliamentary Rules, formally proposing an emergency motion to discuss the recent floods and landslides in Sabah and Sarawak. He pointed out that since January 28, 16 areas in Sarawak and 9 in Sabah have suffered severe floods, resulting in property damage, economic loss, and loss of precious lives.
He expressed gratitude to the government for quickly announcing an allocation of RM25 million for repairing damaged infrastructure in Sabah and Sarawak but emphasized the need for transparent and efficient distribution of these funds to ensure that aid is implemented promptly.
He particularly focused on the RM1,000 assistance per household (BWI) distributed through the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA), urging the government to expedite the registration process for affected households to avoid delays due to complex procedures or mixed information.
He emphasized that disaster victims should receive equal treatment even if they have not moved to PPS.
"The reality is that many disaster victims choose to stay home due to a large number of family members, fear of theft, or mobility issues. Therefore, NADMA must establish clear SOPs to record all residents in affected areas to ensure fair distribution of aid."
He further suggested that the government:
1. Establish a central disaster management system to collect real-time emergency needs in each affected area, such as hygiene supplies, dry food, or cooked food, to ensure reasonable resource allocation.
2. Create a unified assistance distribution platform to systematically record and manage donations from individuals, associations, and businesses, reducing uneven distribution of aid.
3. Strengthen collaboration among government agencies, such as the Civil Defense Force (APM), Social Welfare Department (JKM), etc., to enhance the efficiency of aid delivery to ensure resources are quickly delivered to disaster victims.
4. Precision data management to thoroughly record affected family information for targeted post-disaster support and ensure no household is omitted.
Addressing the landslide issue in Kampung Lereng Bukit, Miri, Chiew questioned why a tragedy occurred on January 29 in an area already labeled high-risk.
He noted that the landslide claimed five lives and urged the government to act quickly to prevent similar tragedies. Regarding the state government's suggestion to relocate residents to safer areas, he stated that some residents prefer building retaining walls and improving drainage systems instead of comprehensive relocation.
Thus, he called for the Department of Mineral and Geosciences Malaysia (JMG) to conduct a comprehensive geological survey to provide scientific evidence for the best solution.
If relocation is necessary, the federal Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) should provide housing grants, incentives, or financial support to ease the economic burden on affected residents.
If slope mitigation is adopted, the government should allocate funds for slope stabilization, infrastructure improvement, and early warning system installation to ensure resident safety.
Chiew emphasized that the central and state governments must closely cooperate, especially between district administrative offices and related government agencies, to ensure comprehensive integration of aid data, avoid overlooking any families, and ensure timely distribution of food, drinking water, clothing, and medical assistance to affected residents.