PUTRAJAYA has decided to establish permanent disaster relief centres around the country to accommodate victims of natural disasters, especially floods, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said. 

The Tambun lawmaker said a pilot project has kicked off in nine states with a ceiling funding of RM5 million for each centre.

“Given that we face floods every year, it is not reasonable to just have temporary relief centres.

“Hence, the government has decided to immediately establish permanent shelters,” he said in the Dewan Rakyat today during the Prime Minister’s Question Time.

Anwar said these centres can be used by the community to have temporary activities but should be mainly reserved for disasters.

“It has to be reserved with a preparation (for disasters) so that it does not become a temporary relief centre.

“So, the facilities here will be much better (than the temporary relief centres),” he said. 

Anwar was responding to a supplementary question from Shamshulkahar Mohd Deli (Jempol-BN), who asked for the government’s action on upgrading and improving the basic facilities at the temporary shelters, alleging that there are many deficiencies among such centres.

In preparation of the year-end monsoon floods, Anwar said the community-based disaster risk management programme and Irrigation and Drainage Department has identified 5,648 hotspots.

He said flood disaster preparedness involves 66,169 officers and members of various government agencies.

“There are 25,440 assets, including from the Malaysian Armed Forces, police, the Civil Defence Force, the state Disaster Management Committee, and the People’s Volunteer Corps,” he said.

Anwar said 8,481 relief centres have been activated.

“The preparations are to accommodate 1.62 million victims, involving more than 5,000 schools, 2,400 halls, 572 mosques and 389 community centres,” he said.

He said RM241 million was initially for 164 districts to prepare for floods.

He said another RM100 million would be used to maintain rivers, flood reservoirs and infrastructure, and activate the operation control room of the flood forecasting and warning centre, which operates 24 hours a day. – November 28, 2023.