Currently, heads of households affected by the floods are eligible to receive a special one-off payment for RM1,000 under the Bantuan Wang Ihsan programme.

However, Umno’s Temerloh division chief Mohd Sharkar Shamsudin said Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob should consider raising this to RM5,000 considering the massive losses incurred by those in flood-stricken areas.

“The average victims are from the low-income group and need government assistance to restore their lives,” he said.

“With the RM5,000, they will be able to buy replacements for damaged home appliances like rice cookers, televisions, washing machines and even refrigerators.”

Sharkar, who is also an Umno Supreme Council member, said the government could free up money by putting large-scale projects on hold.

“Temporarily postpone mega projects, such as the 5G rollout, and focus fully on helping the people who have been severely affected by the floods,” he said.

In his own area, he said, many residents living near the river had no time to save important belongings, as the water level rose too quickly for them to react before eventually overflowing.

“It will be difficult for them to bounce back because the economic crisis facing the people as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic hasn’t ended yet,” he said.