SUNGAI PETANI: Twelve fishermen, whose homes were destroyed in a fire in Tanjung Dawai last Sunday, have received RM132,000 in aid under the Natural Disaster Relief and Fishermen’s Welfare Scheme from the Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia (LKIM).
LKIM chairman Muhammad Faiz Fadzil said that the agency hopes the contribution will help ease the burden of the affected families, who are currently sheltered at the temporary evacuation centre (PPS).
“A total of 14 houses were impacted by the fire, 12 of which belonged to fishermen. Each family received RM11,000 in assistance,” he said. “We hope this assistance will ease their difficulties and help with securing rental housing while we work on resolving their relocation needs.”
Muhammad Faiz Fadzil also said that LKIM has begun preliminary discussions with the state government regarding the relocation of the fire victims.
“To build a new house, we first need to verify the ownership status of the land. It is understood that the land where the fire occurred belongs to one of the agencies under the Kedah government,” he explained. “In the meantime, the families will remain sheltered at the temporary evacuation centre (PPS) until they can secure rental housing while the related issues are resolved.
Meanwhile, one of the aid recipients, Yusof Ismail, 61, expressed his gratitude for the assistance but mentioned the difficulty he was facing in finding a rental house near the Tanjung Dawai area.
“It’s difficult to find a rental house. We hope to be considered for accommodation in fishermen’s housing,” he said.
“Renting outside this area is challenging as it’s far from the sea, and it’s hard for us to commute back and forth,” said Yusof, who suffered minor burns on his neck and hands in the incident, sharing the struggles the families are facing.
Meanwhile, another aid recipient, Jahara Mohamad, 57, expressed her gratitude for the donation but hoped for assistance in securing a rental house near the site of the house that was destroyed in the fire.
“While waiting for the relocation issue to be resolved, I accept whatever decision is made, as long as it’s convenient for my husband, Mat Jusoh Zakaria (67), to go to the sea,” she said.
“We are no longer young, and we are trying to raise two children - one is in boarding school, and the other is in university,” she added.
