Food, medicine, basic necessities and financial aid are being provided to the victims to go through tough times
By AZALEA AZUAR / Pic MUHD AMIN NAHARUL
MANY companies continue to lend a helping hand to those affected by the recent flood, which was the worst seen in decades, with 17,036 victims in Pahang, Selangor, Kelantan, Melaka, Kuala Lumpur, Negri Sembilan and Terengganu as of noon yesterday.
Pharmaniaga Bhd has provided food, medicine and basic necessities to those in Shah Alam and Klang shelters, where some of its employees and their families who were affected had also been relocated.
“More assistance will be rendered once the flood subsides. We will clean the houses and help the flood victims to ease their difficulties during this challenging situation,” it said in a statement yesterday.
The pharmaceutical company’s warehouses have been unaffected and it has ensured that pharmaceutical products reach hospitals and clinics safely.
“An emergency plan has been activated and although some roads are not accessible due to the flood, alternative routes have been identified to ensure all orders for pharmaceutical products by clinics and hospitals will be delivered accordingly.
“Back-up manpower has also been called in to assist the operations as some of the existing warehouse teams have been placed in temporary shelters,” it added. Meanwhile, the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) has allocated RM10 million to help flood victims.
“This aid will be channelled through the various NGOs that are responding to the disaster and in collaboration with government-linked companies (GLCs) and government-linked investment companies (GLICs) Disaster Recovery Network (GDRN).
“Additionally, EPF will offer the use of its EPF Learning Campus in Bangi, which has 152 rooms with full amenities, to people who have been displaced by rising waters as well as the emergency services who have responded to the crisis,” it said in a statement.
EPF’s employees will also raise funds through the “Kongsi Rezeki Programme” to assist flood victims and mobilise resources at EPF branches nationwide to ensure businesses in affected areas can resume operations.
“EPF is committed to maintaining services to members during this difficult time,” it added.
On the other hand, Decathlon Malaysia had put the sales of watersports items to the public on hold for the time being to give priority to those on search and rescue missions.
“In light of the recent floods, we are temporarily suspending all sales of our inflatable kayak boats, stand-up paddle, paddles and life jackets to keep our stock available for official NGOs and Malaysian authorities,” the sports store said in a Facebook post.
Its Shah Alam branch which had to close temporarily due to the floods was reopened yesterday noon.
FamilyMart is also chipping in with donations of 20,000 packs of Ready-To-Eat products through NGOs.
“Upon confirmation, food supplies can be collected from Shah Alam on a first-come-first-serve basis. Due to the standard operating procedures, we are limiting collection to NGOs only,” it said on Facebook.
Meanwhile, Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM) has mobilised its frontliners and when conditions permit, will pursue network restoration in the flood-stricken zones to minimise service interruption, ensuring customers remain connected.
Its telecommunication services had been disrupted where a number of its equipment in Selangor, Negri Sembilan and Pahang were damaged.
Several of their nodes in these states had been inaccessible due to high water and unsafe conditions caused by the floods and landslides.
“In the meantime, we have had to shut down power supply and network equipment in some areas as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of those in the vicinity and minimise any potential risks,” the company said in a statement.
TM added that it is working hard to bring communication services back for its over 50,000 unifi, Streamyx, fixed-line and mobile customers.
A total of RM50 million has also been allocated to aid the victims, in which RM25 million is from the government while RM25 million is from the GLCs/GLICs.
TM is also collaborating with the National Security Council through the National Disaster Management Agency together with Khazanah Nasional Bhd’s Yayasan Hasanah and other agencies to assist in furthering other disaster relief assistance.
As a part of the GDRN, TM will also mobilise rescue and aid efforts to ensure basic necessities and healthcare can be provided to those in need.
Its 56th Royal Signals Telekom Army Reserve Regiment has been deployed to provide assistance and emergency services to restore internet and telephone lines across the country.
TM group CEO Imri Mokhtar was grateful that the company’s engineering and customer care team are swift in keeping their customers updated and restoring the communication services.
“As we brace ourselves in anticipation of worsening conditions, we remain hopeful that Malaysians in need will receive the help they require. Our frontliners will be on the ground around the clock to restore services and bring the impacted states back on their feet,” he said in the statement.