KUALA LUMPUR, June 21 — The Dewan Negara was told the total assistance distributed to eligible disaster victims from 2020 to 2022 amounts to RM963.65 million.
Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Functions) Datuk Wilson Ugak Kumbong said it includes RM5.4 million for 2020, RM113.63 million (2021), and RM844.62 million (2022).
“For the Northeast Monsoon (MTL) 2022/2023, the government has channelled an early allocation of RM330 million to all states to ensure disaster aid can be delivered during the period,” he said during the Senate question and answer session today.
Wilson was responding to Senator Tan Sri Low Kian Chuan, who wanted to know whether all allocations for the disaster aid operation have been audited with the breakdown of disaster expenditure from 2020 to date.
The deputy minister said almost all disaster operation aid allocations were channelled directly to the related state governments, which would be audited by the respective state government.
“For disaster aid operation expenditure which was implemented by the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma), it was audited by several of auditing bodies,” he said.
Replying to a supplementary question by Senator Rita Sarimah Patrick Insol on the types of aid channelled during the disaster, Wilson said the government will continue to assist victims who are eligible for assistance such as Bantuan Wang Ihsan (BWI) worth RM1,000 to each head of household (KIR) as well as RM1,000 to the next of kin of each victim who died in the disaster.
“Apart from that, the Bantuan Barang Keperluan Asas (BBKA) which is RM2,500 for each head of household and Bantuan Pembaikan Rumah (BPR) with a maximum of RM5,000 for each KIR.
“For incidents which occurred outside the MTL period, the government will continue to distribute BWI to eligible KIR verified by the state and district disaster officers,” he said.
— Bernama
