Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the total given meant that each household only received RM250 despite Putrajaya’s promise to consider giving a maximum of RM500.
“This gives rise to questions as to why in the worst floods in Penang history, each household was only given RM250, but in other states that experienced similar flooding, each affected household received RM500,” he said in a statement.
Lim said Penang did not expect the federal government to pay RM700 to each affected household, which was what the state had done.
The state’s assistance had amounted to a total of RM36.647 million, which was distributed to 52,353 flood victims.
“We are only hoping the same amount of aid distributed to flood victims in other states is also given to Penangites. This is to ensure that there is no negative perception that Penangites are being discriminated against.
“I hope that when payments are made in the middle of this month, the total amount of aid for each affected household can be increased from RM250 to RM500,” he said.
Lim was referring to a reply by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Shahidan Kassim in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday where the latter said a total of RM5.6 million would be disbursed to 22,534 households affected by the flood.
The money, Shahidan said, would come from the National Disaster Aid Trust Fund.
Lim, who is also Bagan MP, had asked the prime minister to state when affected Penangites would receive the RM500 aid.
Over half of Penang was submerged in floodwaters following hours of torrential rain that killed seven people in early November last year. More than 6,000 people had to be evacuated from their homes.
Authorities said the floods were caused by one-and-a-half month’s worth of rain that poured continuously for 15 hours.