BERA, Dec 15 — Fifty staff from the Prime Minister’s Office, led by Prime Minister’s Private Secretary Datuk Poad Jelani, today joined Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) students to help clean flood victims’ homes in Pahang.

Apart from cleaning the victims’ homes in Kampung Mengkarak, Durian Tawar

here, the volunteers also presented a supply of rice, sugar, milk and sardines worth RM10,000 to Guai assemblyman Datuk Norol Azali Sulaiman to be distributed to flood victims in the state constituency.

Prime Minister’s Press Secretary Rozilan Salleh said they had also carried out a similar programme to help flood victims in Pekan last week and would proceed to other flood-hit districts in the state later.

It is hoped that all quarters, including non-governmental organisations and private companies, would also give a helping hand to these flood victims, he said.

In KUANTAN, over 500 volunteers from the Malaysian Association of Youth Clubs (MAYC) from six states are giving a helping hand to flood victims in its own special programme, dubbed Ops Banjir, here today.

Its president, Mohd Hasri Mohd Hadzir, said the programme had received overwhelming response from MAYC volunteers in Perlis, Kedah, Perak, Penang, Selangor and Federal Territories.

“We see severe damaged caused by floods, that is why we are here, to help alleviate the burden of these flood victims,” he told Bernama here.

He said the volunteers were deployed to several flood-hit areas in this district and would then proceed to Kemaman, Terengganu for the same cause.

In ALOR STAR, Kedah Puteri Umno today sent two lorries full of clothing to be distributed to flood victims in Kemaman and Dungun, Terengganu.

Its chief, Datin Norashimah Md Nowar, said the clothing were donated by the people in Kedah and had been separated properly according to age and gender.

“The clothing are expected to reach Kemaman later today,” she told reporters after Menteri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir flagged off the lorries at Seri Mentaloon, here yesterday.

She said similar donation would also be sent to flood victims in Kuantan, Pahang next Monday.  

In DUNGUN, concerned with the sufferings of flood victims in Hulu Dungun, 500 students from three institutions of higher learning in Terengganu participated in the Disaster Aid Mission organised by Bukit Besi constituency.

The students are from Bukit Besi campus of Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin (PSMZA) Polytechnic and Gong Badak campus of Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA).

UiTM Bukit Besi executive officer Zulfadli Elias said the mission was aimed at bringing the students closer to the community, besides alleviating the burden of flood victims.

“At the campus, we also have our own team of volunteers who numbered approximately 250 and we are always prepared to help the community,” he told Bernama when met after cleaning the schools and residential area in Kampung Wa here today.

In SETIU, a catfish breeder here suffered a major loss as 200,000 of his baby catfish died due to floods just a few days after being released into ponds.

Zakaria Harun, in Kampung Kubang Puyu here, said he lost almost RM20,000 when all his catfish, each measuring only two-inch long, died during the floods.

He said this was the second time he suffered such a big loss after the 2011 floods where over 40,000 of his catfish died.

In KEMAMAN, a total of 260 families affected by floods in Kampung Mak Lagam here received personal hygiene packs from members of Overseas Umno Clubs who are in a mission to help flood victims in the state.

Mission’s secretariat assistant Zulkafli Ab Aziz said the packs contained shampoo, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste and disposable diapers.”

He said this to reporters when distributing the packs with 20 local and overseas university students, together with staff of Youth and Sports Complex here yesterday. — Bernama