THE government will increase compassionate aid for households affected during the northeast monsoon, or other disasters declared by the Central Disaster Management Committee, from RM500 to RM1,000.

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the assistance was among the government’s efforts to improve management and preparedness to face the northeast monsoon, which is expected to take place from early November until the end of March 2022, involving the east coast states, Johor, Sabah and Sarawak.

“(This) assistance is not a form of compensation for damage to the home and property suffered by the victim, but to ease the burdens borne by them.

It will affect more than 39,100 households and involves an allocation of more than RM39.5 million from the National Disaster Relief Trust Fund, the PM said in a statement today.

In addition to this, there will be a RM9.5 million allocation for the northeast monsoon operating expenditure 2021/2022 channelled using the National Disaster Relief Trust Fund.

The PM also said the non-governmental organisation e-Sumbangan system wold be used to coordinate assistance between donors and NGOs to disaster victims.

“Assistance needs to go through the central or state or district disaster management committee, so that the coordination of assistance can be done more smoothly and systematically.

“Voluntary bodies wishing to send aid also need to get permission from the central or state or district disaster management committee first as the local level committee is more knowledgeable about the wants and needs of the victims in the affected areas,” he said. – Bernama, September 16, 2021.