On the home front
- RM2.9 billion worth of infrastructure damaged, according to the federal government’s latest estimates
- 400,000 people affected nationwide
- An initial allocation of RM500 million for rehabilitation work and the welfare programme for flood victims
- This is in addition to the current National Security Council budget, bringing it to a total of RM787 million
- The initial allocation was increased to RM800 million for the repair and reconstruction of basic infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, roads and bridges
- RM893 million allocated for flood mitigation projects, including 2.43-metre-high stilt houses for those with land but whose homes were damaged by floods
- Over 1,000 low-cost homes to be handed over in Gua Musang
- RM500 for each flood-affected household
- RM5,000 for next-of-kin who lost family members
Aid for businesses
- Additional RM100 million for Tekun, the Agriculture Ministry’s fund for small entrepreneurs, and RM100 million for Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia, the national micro-financing scheme, to provide soft loans to SMEs and micro-enterprises
- BSN, Agrobank, SME Bank, Tekun, and AIM to defer existing loan repayments for up to six months
- Bank Negara Malaysia will establish a RM500 million Special Relief Facility for SME loan financing at a concessionary rate of 2.25% with a grace period of six months through banking and financial institutions for development
- Personal loan of up to RM50,000 at a financing rate of 3.9% from Bank Rakyat. Repayment begins six months after loan disbursement
- RM500 million from financial institutions with a 70% guarantee under a Flood Relief Loan Guarantee Scheme, administered by Prokhas Sdn Bhd, a special purpose vehicle under the Ministry of Finance
Estimated damages incurred by ministries and state governments
- Health Ministry — RM270 million
- Kelantan — RM200 million
- Terengganu — RM107 million
- Public Works Ministry — RM338 million on roads
- Education Ministry — RM350 million
International assistance received
- China: RM339,160 to the Malaysian Red Crescent Society and RM10 million in the form of 1,600 tents, generators, etc
- Japan: RM500,000 in the form of generators, water purifiers and other humanitarian aid
- Singapore: RM265,145.40 via the Singapore Red Cross with an additional RM336,685.06 to the Malaysian Red Crescent Society
- Taiwan: Medical workers and volunteers with 12 vehicles laden with rescue equipment and supplies entered the flood-hit areas to render help. The Taiwan Economic and Cultural Centre Office donated RM5,000. Taiwan Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation founder Dharma Master Cheng Yan donated RM350,000 in food, and monitored the clean-up of Kampung Manek Urai Lama
- Thailand: Relief to Malaysians living in Narathiwat Province
- United Arab Emirates: Emergency aid through the Emirates Red Crescent
- USA: RM525,000 to NGOs and medical equipment and medicine. An additional RM3 million was contributed through programmes and technical assistance. US companies and their employees also provided cash and donations in kind worth RM1.1 million
- International Federation of Red Cross and Crescent Societies donated RM296,688.70 as part of the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund to support around 5,000 families for one month
- ShelterBox: Huston-based disaster relief body sent 224 ShelterBoxes and 1,032 Midi tents to the flood-hit areas
This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on March 2, 2015.
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