The Star Online: Metro: South & East
The Star Online: Metro: South & East |
- Bentong residents reminded to maintain a high level of personal hygiene
- Moving out after floods destroy homes
- New longhouse being built
| Bentong residents reminded to maintain a high level of personal hygiene Posted: 07 Jan 2013 05:56 PM PST BENTONG: The public are reminded to take necessary precaution against water-borne diseases due to the present rainy season, Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said. Liow said so far, there was no outbreak of diseases such as cholera and typhoid in states affected by floods. "The public especially flood victims must continue to be vigilant and maintain a high level of cleanliness and personal hygiene. "I have directed the health authorities to monitor the situation closely and go to the ground to check on the condition regularly," he said after distributing some 500 rubbish bins to traders in Bentong town as part of a cleaning campaign here recently. Also present was Pahang Health, Local Governmnent and Environ-ment Committee chairman Datuk Hoh Khai Mun. Liow, who is the Bentong MP and Pahang MCA chairman, said the ministry had set up 190 medical teams nationwide and would deploy them to areas affected by floods when and should the need arises. He said over 1,000 flood victims had been screened and given medical aid during the past few weeks at the height of the floods. "A total of 24 health clinics were affected by the massive floods in Kelantan and Terengganu," he said, adding that the situation had improved with the letting up of the rain. On the cleaning campaign, Liow said the rubbish bins were aimed to uplift the image of Bentong town and make the surroundings more cleaner. He said more bins would also be provided in public areas such as public parks, bus stands, markets and open fields. "We hope all traders and residents will co-operate with the local authorities to keep the environment clean and soothing to the eyes. "Our target is to uplift and rejuvenate Bentong town within three months," he said, adding that preserving the greenery and keeping a clean surroundings should be the responsibility of all citizens. Liow also urged parents to instill the importance of personal hygiene and cleanliness among their children so that they would not litter when they grew up. On the MeSTI food safety campaign, he said it had received encouraging response with some 10,000 small and medium entreprises registering their products to obtain a certification. He said the objective of the campaign was to put in place a system for the maintenance of food hygiene and process control including food safety assurance and traceability. Meanwhile, Hoh said all registered traders would be provided with a rubbish bin to enable Alam Flora to discard solid waste in a more cleaner and effective manner. He said plans were in the pipeline to provide households in housing estates and villages who paid their quit rent with similar bins. "We urge all recipients to take care of the bins which cost about RM100 each," he said. Hoh, who is the Bilut assemblyman, said he would seek allocation from the Government to upgrade the drainage system in his constituency to prevent flash floods. |
| Moving out after floods destroy homes Posted: 07 Jan 2013 05:56 PM PST KUANTAN: All the 22 families in Kampong Galing Besar and Kampong Galing here have been told to move out of their houses as it was no longer fit for occupancy. The families have been living in the houses for over 30 years. Most of the houses were damaged in the recent flash flood which hit parts of Kuantan town late last year. Tengku Mahkota Pahang Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah said the families have to cooperate with the authorities to move to the new housing project in Kampong Pak Mahat, in Tanjung Lumpur which is about six kilometres away from their present homes. Tengku Abdullah said the families are expected to leave the squatter homes within three weeks as the new units are ready for occupation. "They should move out as directed as the Government is concerned over their safety. "Their present houses which I saw are in deplorable condition for them to continue staying despite its close proximity to the town," Tengku Abdullah said after visiting the houses along Sungai Galing. Tengku Abdullah said all residents in the houses have to vacate and the next cause of action of the place will be decided later. He said currently the Kuantan Municipal Council will do the cleaning up works in the area including demolishing the badly affected houses. "The Drainage and Irrigation Department will conduct a study on whether the area is still suitable for residential or otherwise. "Let the Government do the works and the residents here have to move out as directed for a better living environment," he said. In the recent flood, the families were evacuated to the nearby relief centre in SRK Galing. The Sungai Galing river overflowed following the few hours of continuous heavy downpour and innundated the area with over one metre high of flood waters. All of them only managed to save their lives and none of them could save their belongings as the water level rose fast. Fortunately, there were no loss of lives in the flash flood which returned to normal in less than five hours. |
| Posted: 07 Jan 2013 05:56 PM PST KOTA KINABALU: Better housing awaits 24 families who lost their homes after a fire razed their wooden longhouse in the northern Kudat district last in July last year. A new longhouse is being built for the affected families at Kampung Minikodong thanks to a RM1.3mil allocation from from the National Disaster Relief Council. Launching the project at the village some 220kms from Kota Kinabalu, Kota Marudu MP Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili said the 25-unit semi-concrete longhouse would include a common area for the families to carry out various activities. He said the road leading the village would be sealed to enable construction material to be brought in and subsequently it would benefit the kampung folk. In the July fire, many of the Rungus families who were victims of the fire lost their heirloom and valuables such as antique gongs. Maximus quickly came to the aid of the longhouse dwellers including getting Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's approval within three days of the fire for funds to rebuild the longhouse. Maximus also got various departments, NGOs and individuals to donate essential items such as food, cooking items, clothings, school uniforms and cash including from his MP Office. "The delay in the construction of the longhouse was because the agency concerned wanted to apply the standard procedure including the normal tender process. "In the case of a disaster like this, I think processes involved should be simplified because in disaster cases the needs of the people are urgent," he said. Maximus said the affected families were fortunate as the Prime Minister himself had personally given attention to their plight as the Barisan Nasional government is concerned for the welfare of the rural people and delivers its promise. "This shows the government walks the talk. The people can start to rebuild their lives and look forward to moving into new homes," he added. |
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