KEMAMAN, Jan 12 — The heavy drizzle which fell on Chukai this morning did not dampen the spirit of Kemaman’s 15,000 residents as they attended the aid presentation and volunteer appreciation ceremony at the Padang Astaka here.
Unlike other days, the atmosphere was filled with cheer and merriment as the public went to meet Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak who launched the national-level Flood Victim Aid Presentation and Volunteer Appreciation Ceremony.
Accompanied by Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said, Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, who is also Kemaman member of parliament, Barisan Nasional and local leaders, Najib arrived at 10am.
The prime minister presented the aid to 30 people who represented 600 of the first group of flood victims.
They were part of the 19,205 families in Terengganu, who will receive the aid in stages from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, as well as the Kelab Putera 1Malaysia (KP1M).
The aid includes mattresses, pillows, stoves, refrigerators and 31-inch television sets totalling RM5,000.
The flood victims will also receive RM500 in cash aid from the federal government, as well as cash of between RM500 to RM1,500 from the state government, depending on the extent of damage incurred.
One of the recipients, P. Selvathurai, 54, a supervisor at a private steel factory in Telok Kalong, said the television was the item she most appreciated as it had been more than a month since she watched it after her set was destroyed by the flood.
She estimated her damage at RM25,000 after her house was badly hit during the flood.
Another flood victim, Kamri Ngah, 48, was touched by the aid as he suffered losses amounting to more than RM30,000 in the flood. — Bernama
