No rise in health cases from flood; Corporations and other orgs continue to provide all manner of aid

KUALA LUMPUR: More than 1,000 flood victims have sought treatment since the floods that hit Penang recently, according to Health Minister Dr S. Subramaniam.
However, he said there was no rise in the number of specific health cases which could be attributed to the natural disaster.
"Most of the health facilities in Penang have already been operating as normal. However, there is one rural clinic in Kepala Batas that is unserviceable," he said.
In George Town, more corporate companies have stepped up their donation drive for the flood victims in Penang with over RM200,000 pledged since Monday.
QSR Brands (M) Holdings Berhad, the country's largest quick service restaurants operator, with over 1,100 KFC and Pizza Hut chains to its name, contributed up to RM100,000 to its employees affected by the mammoth floods in the state, as well as to others who were affected.
In a statement, QSR Brands said that it had donated RM1,000 each to 87 employees who were affected by the floods in Penang.
They were also each handed out RM100 worth of food vouchers to lighten their burden after their homes were inundated by flood waters over 10 days ago.
QSR Brands managing director Datuk Mohamed Azahari Kamil personally handed out the donations to the affected staffers in Bukit Mertajam.
Johor Corporation Sdn Bhd, the parent company of QSR Brands, also arranged for hundreds of its volunteers to help in the clean up of Penang. They mostly helped out in the three mainland districts, which suffered more damage than the island.
Also, certain major car producers and insurers are believed to have waived off up to RM100,000 for Penang motorists whose vehicles became stalled as a result of rising waters.
Motorists with credible evidence that their cars were damaged by the flood need only to bring their vehicles to the dealership service centers for repairs to be done.
State Agriculture, Agro-based, Rural Development and Health Committee chairperson Dr Afif Bahardin also announced that 5,278 farmers, 92 livestock ranchers, and 134 fishermen, have been identified as eligible to receive aid, under the state flood relief package plan.
In another development, Penang DAP has announced that RM8 million has been collected and the full amount will be disbursed to the state soon, with RM5 million already given.
State Welfare committee chairperson Phee Boon Poh said the relief package would be coming in two forms; firstly, state formal relief assistance through the RM105 million fund, specially set aside for an immediate dish out to those affected.
The second, is the private sector initiated relief fund, which the state hopes to reach RM20 million soon, said Phee.
"Even if the sum cannot be reach, the state has plans to top it up."
That amount will also be used to compensate those affected by the floods either directly or indirectly, Phee pointed out.
Many local corporate companies have donated in kind to the relief funds with the biggest coming from the Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce, who pledged up to RM800,000 followed by the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) northern region chapter, who donated RM350,000.