JITRA: Some 900 families affected by floods in the Kubang Pasu and Kota Setar districts received food baskets and household essentials from the Cooperatives Commission of Malaysia (SKM) today.
The assistance was provided under the SKM Prihatin Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Programme, in collaboration with the Prime Minister's Office and the Kedah Community Communication Department (J-Kom).
Prime Minister's Special Duties Officer Shanmugam Mookan said the programme aimed to alleviate the burden of flood victims by providing basic necessities and supporting communities and cooperative members impacted by the disaster.
He added that 900 food baskets, worth a total of RM60,000, were distributed, with each family receiving RM150 worth of items.
"Additionally, the Kedah and Penang Cooperative Movement contributed another RM20,000," he told reporters after visiting flood victims in Taman Seri Utama here today.
Meanwhile, SKM Chairman Lt Gen (Rtd) Datuk Ahmad Norihan Jalal said the commission had outlined plans to assist states affected by floods, including Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, and Kedah.
"Kedah is the fifth state to receive aid due to the significant number of affected areas, and we acted swiftly to help.
"In Kelantan, some areas remain severely impacted, so we are waiting for conditions to improve before deploying assistance.
"We rely on data from the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) and act accordingly. Post-flood assistance will be provided once the waters recede, and the primary agencies have completed their duties," he added.
Meanwhile, Taman Seri Utama resident, Fauziah Dahlil, 60, expressed gratitude for the assistance provided through the programme, describing last month's floods as the worst since a similar disaster in 2010.
"At the time, it was just me and my youngest daughter, Nur Izzaty Mohd Bukhari, 27, who was in confinement after giving birth to her first child.
"The water rose to the front of the house around 7.30pm but entered inside within an hour. We had to wade through knee-deep water, carrying the baby, to reach safety. We ended up staying at a nearby budget hotel," she said when met.
Fauziah said the ordeal didn't end there, as she had to clean thick mud from her home three times following floods in September, October, and November.
"This aid will be very useful, I have received more than enough supplies to help me go through these difficult times," she added.