A total of 15 permanent relief centres are being built nationwide to house up to 500 victims each, reducing reliance on schools during monsoon floods.
KUALA TERENGGANU: Fifteen permanent relief centres (PPK) equipped with basic facilities are being built nationwide to serve flood victims.
The National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) deputy director-general Hussain Moh said the centres are part of a pilot project.
The first centre at Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Medan in Johor is expected to be completed in early January.
Hussain said Terengganu has two projects, including a new PPK and an upgraded temporary centre.
“At present, we are only building one PPK for each state as a pilot project, but in Terengganu, there are two,” he told reporters after the handover of the Terengganu State Disaster Command Centre (SDCC).
The SDCC is part of government efforts to strengthen disaster preparedness.
Construction of each PPK involves an average cost of around RM8 million.
Hussain said the capacity is set to allow comfortable use of facilities for up to 500 people.
Each centre will include staff rest sections, dining facilities, a surau, and medical treatment zones.
The facilities are designed to be disabled- and elderly-friendly.
Hussain added that the PPKs will reduce reliance on schools as temporary relief centres.
This helps avoid disruption to school sessions, particularly during examination periods.
“We do not want to disrupt schools where possible, since more than 50% of PPS are in schools,” he said.
The PPK at SK Banggol Peradong in Terengganu is expected to be completed by July next year.
The upgraded temporary centre at SK Matang may be used if flooding occurs this monsoon season.
Hussain said NADMA and all relevant agencies are on full alert to deal with any potential flooding.
Meanwhile, the Terengganu Prime Minister’s Department said the government allocated RM26.5 million for disaster management in the state.
This includes basic infrastructure repair works involving 317 small-scale projects.
