JOHOR IMPLEMENTS FIVE INITIATIVES TO HELP FLOOD VICTIMS

ISKANDAR PUTERI, March 27 (Bernama) --The Johor government is implementing five initiatives to ease the burden of flood victims in the state, says Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi.

He said affected heads of households (KIR) would receive financial assistance from the federal and state governments amounting to RM1,300 involving an allocation of RM34.2 million.

Onn  Hafiz said the aid would be distributed by end of the month, adding that for those in Batu Pahat and Segamat, the assistance is expected to be distributed in early April due to a larger number of recipients.

Besides that, he said the victims would be given an exemption of RM250 in replacement fees for their land titles that had been lost or damaged in the floods.

"Ranhill SAJ has also agreed to give a discount of up to 40 per cent off the victims’ March and April water bills," he said in his winding-up speech at the Johor State Legislative Assembly sitting here today.

He said the flood victims were also given a moratorium on their loans up to six months  as announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on March 7, involving nearly all banks, in addition to essential items assistance of RM2,500 to be distributed to all KIR starting next month.

He also expressed his gratitude to the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Almarhum Sultan Iskandar for donating electrical appliances and folding mattresses worth RM700,000 to flood victims.

The Machap state assemblyman also expressed his appreciation to workers and volunteers who are working hard to help flood victims in the state.

Johor fully recovered from the floods after the last two temporary relief centres in Batu Pahat ceased operations at noon yesterday.  

Meanwhile, Onn Hafiz told the assembly that the state government agreed to allocate RM20,000 to carry out programmes each in conjunction with Ramadan, Hari Raya Aidilfitri and the ‘Johor Bersih’ agenda, to be distributed within a week.

-- BERNAMA