PENAMPANG, Sept 21 — As residents of villages here struggle with the aftermath of last night’s downpour, the Sabah government said it would be offering cash relief of RM1,000 to affected households to help rebuild their damaged homes.

Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said that flood victims will also be provided with the necessary materials for the repairs.

"The 937 flood victims in Penampang, including the badly hit Kampung Sugud here, will each receive emergency cash assistance of RM1,000 from the state government,” he said after visiting the village here today.

In addition, 10 houses swept away during the recent floods will be rebuilt.

Hajiji said this was the immediate assistance that the state can offer to last week’s flood victims, some whose homes suffered even more damage during last night’s downpour.

"The state government will ensure they get assistance from the state and federal governments,” he said.

Hajiji was briefed by Penampang District Officer Francis Chong earlier, and as another immediate course of action, instructed the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) to clear all waterways.

In the long term, the chief minister said the completion of one more flood mitigation package is expected to help prevent the disaster from happening again.

"Two flood mitigation packages have been completed as long-term measures to mitigate floods in the Penampang district.

"Only one more package has yet to be completed to ensure Penampang and its surrounding areas will not be affected by floods,” he said.

The state capital, and other districts like Penampang, Tuaran, Kota Belud and Beaufort were badly hit by floods after continuous rains last week.

In Penampang, floods have been getting progressively worse as the Moyog River reaches danger levels even after a couple hours of rain.

Kampung Sugud, just some 30 minutes from the city centre, has been particularly affected and residents are still relying on outside help for food and other items to clean up their homes and replace household items.