PETALING JAYA, Jan 7 – Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein has stated that three countries have agreed to send humanitarian aid to help Malaysia following the devastating floods which hit several states recently.
He said China, Singapore and the United States, had expressed their intention thereby strengthening the good relations that had been established so far.
He said Singapore had supplied water purifying machines to be used in flood hit states while China would be sending tents for flood victims to use.
“The United States has contacted Malaysia to find out the requirements needed to help the flood victims.
“This is an advantage to us but we cannot depend entirely on outside aid and these are merely additional assistance besides the contribution received from the rakyat,” he told reporters here Tuesday.
He was speaking to reporters after witnessing the handing over of flood relief contributions from the Malaysian Armed Forces Family Welfare Association (Bakat) by his wife, Datin Seri Tengku Marsilla Tengku Abdullah to Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim.
He said a total of 312 flights made possible with Malaysian Armed Forces assets under ‘Ops Murni’ had helped transport 748.6 tonnes of relief supplies for distribution to victims in flood-affected states.
Hishammuddin said the Flood Relief Supplies Collection Centre at the Subang Air Base had received about 3,256 tonnes of relief supplies from various parties.
“Of the total, 2,999 tonnes had been distributed by road while the rest have yet to be distributed, as of yesterday,” he said.
Hishammuddin said, apart from delivery of necessities to flood victims, post-flood process must also be focused upon, adding that various authorities were in the midst of cleaning up badly-affected areas.
