MELAKA, March 12 — The government will coordinate aid to be given to the flood-stricken Orang Asli community in Johor and Pahang, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Rural and Regional Development Minister, said he will ask the Department of Orang Asli Development (Jakoa) director-general to go to the affected areas to carry out an evaluation.

"For Jakoa, besides aid given by the state and district level Disaster Management Committee, I have asked the Jakoa director-general himself to go down to the ground (to carry out an evaluation).

"Perhaps not just the infrastructures and roads, but also home appliances, home repairs that may need to be carried out... I will coordinate with Jakoa,” he said when speaking at the ceremony to introduce candidates for the Melaka state-level Umno polls, here, today.

He said, however, the government has, so far, yet to determine the exact number of Orang Asli affected by floods.

"So far, didn’t get the official total (but) we will synchronise aid for them,” he said. — Bernama