16 more families living along Sungai Kupang to be moved to safe location

BALING, Aug 3 (Bernama) -- Sixteen more families whose houses are located along Sungai Kupang, here, will be moved to a safer area as the current location has been found to be no longer safe for them.

Kedah Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said the state government would carry out the relocation of the 16 affected families identified in a survey.

"During the visit by the Kedah Raja Muda to the location recently, his royal highness ordered that the riverine residents and other risky areas be moved out to safe locations to ensure their safety.”

He said this to reporters after officiating at the ground-making ceremony for a housing land in Kampung Sadek, here, today in aid of Baling flood victims.

Muhammad Sanusi had previously said that 17 families who lost their homes in the floods last July 14 would get new homes, but only 12 families actually qualified as the other five families had only been tenants of the other affected houses.

However, he added that the state government would consider providing new homes for owners of the homes rented out while the five tenants would be given appropriate aid.

"Currently, the 12 families are renting homes at a number of locations and we assist them by paying the monthly rental for six months. We hope the new homes can be built in less than six months, before December.

"The single houses will be built on a state government-owned land in collaboration with the Kedah Regional Development Board (KEDA), with the houses having three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen and a living room," he said.

Muhammad Sanusi said the houses would be built by Kynetics Land Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary company of the Kedah State Development Corporation (PKNK) at an estimated cost of RM70,000 to RM75,000 each.

"The construction cost is borne by the state government with contributions also coming from other entities such as the Federal Territory Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP), Kedah Care Fund, Syarikat Air Darul Aman (SADA) and Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) through their corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts such as providing water and electricity supply facilities.

"The earlier estimated cost of RM57,000 per house cannot be applied as it also involves the provision of infrastructure and other facilities, and rise in the price of building materials," he added.

-- BERNAMA