KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 2 — Damages caused by the floods ravaging parts of peninsular Malaysia is expected to cost Putrajaya and state governments over RM1 billion, according to Malay language daily, Berita Harian.
The state that was hardest hit by the annual floods, Kelantan, sustained estimated damages worth RM200 million, according to Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, the chairman of Kelantan's Flood Disaster Operations Committee was quoted saying..
According to Mustapa, the Public Works Department (PWD) suffered losses of RM100 million while utility providers Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) , Air Kelantan Sdn Bhd and the police suffered losses of RM10 million, RM3 million and RM8 million each.
In Terengganu, MB Datuk Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman estimated that RM107 million and RM27 million will be needed to repair federal roads and state roads respectively, the paper reported.
Public Works Department Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said an estimated RM338 million will be needed to repair of roads and drainage, among other things.
The largest damages were in Kelantan, Pahang and Terengganu at RM204 million, while RM78 million would be the likely amount needed in Johor, Malacca, Negri Sembilan. Perak, Kedah and Perlis are expected to need RM55.6 million, Fadillah said.
In the round-up of losses, BH also reported Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin giving an initial estimate of RM350 million for repair work of schools damaged by the floods.
In what is said to be Malaysia’s worst floods in decades, 21 people have been killed and at over 230,000 people were forced to flee their homes due to the rising flood waters.
The flood waters have however started to recede and the number of evacuees has dropped to 85,480 as of the National Security Council's statistics at 8am today.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak recently announced an allocation of RM500 million to aid flood victims.
