KUALA LUMPUR: Agensi Pengurusan Bencana Negara (NADMA) kini dalam proses untuk mengkaji pelaksanaan bagi pembayaran Bantuan Wang Ihsan (BWI) secara pemindahan dana elektronik (EFT).

Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi berkata, langkah itu jika dilaksanakan mampu mengurangkan birokrasi dalam agihan bantuan.

“NADMA sedang berusaha untuk menambahbaik serta mempermudahkan prosedur pemberian BWI kepada Ketua Isi Rumah (KIR) mangsa bencana, bagi memastikan tiada halangan birokrasi dalam penyaluran bantuan tersebut dan meringankan beban yang ditanggung mangsa bencana.

“NADMA dalam proses mengkaji pelaksanaan pembayaran BWI melalui EFT dengan Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) bagi mengurangkan birokrasi dalam agihan bantuan.

“Inisiatif ini bertujuan untuk mempercepatkan proses penyaluran bantuan kepada mangsa bencana dengan memanfaatkan teknologi perbankan digital, seterusnya memastikan bantuan sampai dengan lebih efisien,” katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian dalam jawapan bertulis bagi menjawab soalan daripada Datuk Willie Mongin (GPS- Puncak Borneo) mengenai jenis bantuan disediakan oleh NADMA serta sama ada proses permohonan bantuan itu dapat dipermudahkan.

Zahid yang juga Menteri Kemajuan Desa dan Wilayah berkata, bagi kejadian bencana semasa musim Monsun Timur Laut (MTL) termasuk bencana banjir, terdapat dua jenis bantuan bencana yang disediakan oleh Kerajaan Persekutuan melalui peruntukan yang disalurkan oleh NADMA kepada semua negeri.

“Untuk pemberian BWI sebanyak RM1,000 untuk setiap KIR yang layak dan dan BWI kematian pula,sebanyak RM10,000 untuk waris kepada mangsa yang meninggal dunia.

“Sebelum agihan BWI dilaksanakan, senarai KIR yang terjejas akibat bencana akan disemak dan disahkan oleh Jawatankuasa Pengurusan Bencana Daerah (JPBD) sebelum diperakukan oleh Jawatankuasa Pengurusan Bencana Negeri (JPBN).

“Pengagihan BWI kepada KIR akan dilaksanakan oleh Pejabat Daerah atau Pejabat Pembangunan Negeri berdasarkan senarai nama yang diperakukan oleh Jawatankuasa Pengurusan Bencana Negeri,” katanya.

MIRI (Feb 19): Twenty-six underprivileged students from various schools here who were affected by the floods and landslides received assistance from Yayasan Hasanah last week.

The initiative, in collaboration with Yayasan Foodbank and supported by Sarawak Bumiputera Entrepreneurs Chamber (DUBS) Miri, aimed to ensure that students can continue their studies with adequate supplies despite the challenges they face.

The programme identified recipients from SK Miri, SK Tudan, SK Kampung Bakam, SK Merbau, and SMK Dato Permaisuri.

Pusat Pakaian Hari-Hari, a strategic partner in this initiative, provided the school supplies.

Yayasan Foodbank Malaysia general manager Yang Rafidah Othman expressed appreciation towards the programme’s partner for providing the school uniforms at discounted prices, allowing students to benefit from the initiative.

This programme is also part of ‘Misi Banjir Borneo’, a flood relief mission conducted across Sarawak and Sabah, in which Miri is the second destination after Kuching.

The initiative seeks to reach more affected communities and provide essential support to those in need.

Also present during the handover of assistance was the representative of DUBS chairman Mohammad Hafidz Rohani.

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 19): GLC Demi Rakyat dan Negara (GDRN) has launched a large-scale flood recovery mission in Sarawak, providing essential aid to communities affected by recent flash floods.

The initiative, a collaboration of government-linked companies (GLCs) and government-linked investment companies (GLICs), has mobilised RM1.3 million worth of aid, distributing 5,000 ‘GDRN Bantu Family’ kits containing electrical appliances, mattresses, towels, and sarongs.

“These relief packages are being delivered to key areas, with 2,500 kits allocated for Bintulu, 1,500 for Miri, and 1,000 for Kuching, benefitting over 20,000 individuals undergoing post-flood recovery phase.

“On Feb 15, a flag-off ceremony was held at iSecure MASkargo in Sepang, Selangor, marking the official launch of the mission,” said GDRN in a statement.

It added: “The event underscored the importance of collaboration between stakeholders, and it was attended by representatives from 14 contributing organisations including CIMB Foundation, Khazanah Nasional, Kumpulan Wang Persaraan (KWAP), Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH), Malaysia Airports, MASkargo, MASkargo Logistics, Maybank Group, Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), Yayasan Hasanah, Yayasan Petronas, Yayasan Sime Darby, Yayasan TM, and Yayasan UEM.”

At the Feb 15 event, the host’s representative MASkargo’s head of operations Zulkefly Ujang welcomed the delegation.

“This event reaffirms MASkargo’s commitment to providing dedicated freighter services for disaster relief,” he remarmed.

Yayasan Hasanah trustee and managing director Siti Kamariah Ahmad Subki, in her speech, emphasised the deeper significance of the initiative.

“Behind every aid package is a family trying to rebuild, a child hoping to return to school, and a community striving to regain normalcy.

“The collective compassion and action make the biggest difference in times of hardship.”

Meanwhile, Yayasan TM director Ainol Shaharina Sahar acknowledged the contributions of all GDRN members, and also highlighted the importance of uplifting communities in need.

“Yayasan Hasanah and Yayasan TM, as co-secretariats of the initiative, work closely with ‘Red A Humanitarian Development Global’ in coordinating the mission.”

Malaysia Airports facilitated logistics at both Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Kuching International Airport, ensuring smooth cargo operations, while MASkargo provided freight and logistics support for the timely delivery of aid.

The initiative also highlighted the strong partnerships with government agencies, including the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma), Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC), and Civil Defence Force (APM).

In his remarks, Nadma deputy director-general Hussain Moh reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to supporting disaster relief efforts.

Meanwhile, GDRN said the mission was part of a broader Northeast Monsoon Relief Initiative, in which the GLCs and GLICs had collectively contributed RM24 million toward post-monsoon recovery efforts across Malaysia.

(Reuters) - A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck off the coast of Atacama, Chile on Tuesday the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said.

The quake's depth was 29 kilometres (18.02 miles)below the earth's surface, EMSC said. (Reporting by Anusha Shah in Bengaluru)