KUCHING: The State government has launched forward bases in Kuching, Sarikei, Bintulu, Lawas and Limbang to store food and essential items for distribution to flood victims should floods hit the state next month.
This was pointed out by Assistant Minister of Community Wellbeing, Datuk Francis Harden Hollis when representing Minister of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development, Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah at the launching of State Voluntee Synergy Strengthening Seminar 2018 organized by Sarawak Welfare Department here yesterday.
He added that the ministry will also launch forward bases in Kapit, Mukah and Sri Aman.
“I visited a clinic used as a forward base in Sebauh recently which is more than three hours journey by boat from Bintulu. It is my duty and responsibility to monitor the forward bases to face the coming floods,” he said.
Harden also said that during the visit, he had received feedback on various problems about the forward base and will discuss it with Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah.
Earlier on Dato Sri Fatimah had announced that the State Social Welfare Department (JKM) will provide a total of 16 forward bases in areas vulnerable to floods in the state to store food and essential items for flood victims.
The northeast monsoon season is expected to hit the state from next month until March next year resulting in heavy rain and flooding.
Harden also said that the volunteers are all over the state but most of them are in Kuching.
According to JKM statistics, there are around 1,851 volunteers in Sarawak with the most in Kuching with 490 volunteers followed by Bintulu (226) and Sarikei (194). Volunteers in other areas are Serian (48), Samarahan (190), Sri Aman (177), Betong (140), Sibu (74), Kapit (34), Mukah (93), Miri (178) and Limbang (71).
