Ipoh: A total of 60 families have received one-off assistance from the Perak state government and Tambun Member of Parliament's Service Centre, after floods hit the area on Jan 16.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Kinta District Disaster Management Committee chairman Zulhisham Ahmad Shukori stated that the assistance was distributed to recipients who had registered with Mukim Hulu Kinta's Penghulu Office (Ipoh) as of yesterday. This marks the first phase of distribution, and Zulhisham expects the number of recipients to increase as there are still those who have yet to register. A full report will be released once all matters involving the distribution of aid to flood-affected residents have been finalized.

Zulhisham expressed hope that the assistance would help ease the burden of affected residents in preparation for the arrival of Ramadan tomorrow. Earlier, State Infrastructure, Energy, Water and Public Transport Committee chairman Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin identified extraordinary rainfall exceeding 80 millimetres (mm) as the main cause of flooding in several areas, including Manjoi.

A temporary relief centre at Dewan Kampung Tengku Hussein in Manjoi was opened yesterday, offering shelter to 26 flood victims from 10 families. Meanwhile, Zulhisham, who is also the Kinta district officer, confirmed that the appointment of a contractor for Phase Two of the Sungai Kinta Flood Mitigation (RTB) project was finalized on Jan 14. The project is currently in the final coordination stage, paving the way for the RM108 million project to commence. The Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) is handling further processes related to the construction, with expectations that it will help mitigate frequent flooding in Manjoi.