Anwar pledges more aid for Sabah, says normal procedures too slow

Summary

• Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim pledges urgent and expanded federal aid for Sabah, stressing that the scale of flood and landslide damage was “not normal”.

• During visits to disaster-hit areas, he says relief must go beyond food and shelter to include housing, infrastructure, and education.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has pledged greater federal assistance for Sabah, saying the damage from recent floods and landslides is far from normal and requires urgent action beyond the RM10 million already channelled.

After visiting disaster sites in Penampang today, he said the state needed much more support as the scale of devastation became clearer.

“The state government has acted quickly, and as you know, even when I was in Doha, I instructed the federal machinery to step in, including the initial RM10 million allocation. But now we can see there are further needs that will require much more.

“This is not the normal process. If we do it the usual way, it will take far too long. That is why I have asked that everything be expedited,” he told reporters in Kota Kinabalu.

Accompanied by Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor, Anwar visited a landslide site at Country Heights Apartment, before meeting evacuees at Sekolah Kebangsaan St Paul in Kolopis and the temporary relief centre in Kampung Sarapung.

He later inspected the Gaya campus of the Teacher Education Institute , which sustained severe damage.

He said the Education Ministry has tabled an initial report on damages to the teachers’ training college, with further decisions to be made once a complete assessment is available.

“The Education Ministry has tabled an initial report. We will wait for a final assessment, and if it cannot be rebuilt here, we will find another site.

“I don’t want to follow the normal process because these floods and damages are not normal.

“If we follow the usual procedures, it will take far too long. That is why I have asked that everything be expedited.”

More forms of aid to be fast-tracked

Anwar also stressed that relief must extend beyond food and temporary shelter.

“After the immediate flood response, helping families with food, housing and placement, we must also deal with infrastructure.

“Roads and facilities like the teacher training institute here must be a priority,” he said.

He noted that aside from the initial RM10 million, other forms of aid would also be fast-tracked.

“Some families have received RM20,000, others RM2,000. But the important thing is not just the cash, it is housing, basic necessities, and school materials for their children.

“We will decide together which costs will be borne by Putrajaya and which by the state,” he added.

Tireless work and sacrifice

Anwar also praised disaster teams, utility staff, and volunteers for their tireless efforts.

“I want to thank all the federal and state agencies for their commitment.

“The people I met said they were proud of the sacrifices of staff, including those from the electricity and energy sectors, who have worked tirelessly to ease the burden of the people,” he said.

Incessant rainfall from Sept 8-17 triggered landslides, flash floods, and widespread disruptions to water and electricity supply across Sabah.

At least 14 people have died, while thousands were forced to flee their homes.

The worst-hit areas included Penampang, Membakut, Papar, Sipitang, and several other districts where rivers overflowed and hillslopes collapsed.

Entire villages were cut off as roads gave way and bridges were swept away, while utility crews worked around the clock to restore power to more than a million residents on the state’s east coast.

Permanent flood evacuation centre to be built in Bongawan - DPM

Put politics aside, focus on helping Sabah disaster victims - Hajiji

Sabah floods branded man-made disaster of systemic negligence

Anwar approves RM10m immediate aid for Sabah flood victims

Sabah landslides and floods kill 13