Awang Tengah (right) speaks during the press conference. Also seen is Fatimah (left).
KUCHING (Feb 10): There is no problem of insufficient food supply at the points of sales (POS) in the remote and interior parts of Kapit division which are currently under Movement Control Order (MCO), said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.
He said the Food Supply Chain sub-Committee chaired by him had instructed the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) to ensure that enough essential food items are stocked up at those POS especially those located in the remote parts of Song and Kapit districts.
At present, there are 148 POS listed by KPDNHEP in both Kapit and Song districts.
“There are many points of sales established there and already in operations. KPDNHEP has been directed to ensure food supply at every POS are sufficient.
“Generally, the food supply is not a problem, it is sufficient at the moment. The people are advised to adhere strictly to the SOP (standard operating procedure) when going to the POS,” he said at a press conference today.
Earlier, Awang Tengah provided an update on the food assistance distribution to households in Sibu division (covering Sibu, Selangau and Kanowit) and Kapit division (covering Kapit and Song districts) affected by the MCO.
He pointed out that as informed during an earlier press conference, the total number of households affected is about 88,857 for both divisions, of which 72,857 households are in Sibu division and 16,000 households are in Kapit and Song districts.
He said the state government has approved a total of RM6.52 million allocation to purchase and deliver food assistance for the affected households in both divisions.
“As of today, the Sibu Divisional Disaster Management Committee reported that 48,764 (67 per cent) households out of 72,857 households have been distributed with food assistance. All 1,270 affected longhouses (22,612 households) have been given food assistance.
“The committee (in Sibu) has been instructed to expedite the distribution to the remaining 24,047 out of the total 50,245 affected households in the urban areas of Sibu by this week.
“Whereas for Kapit, the Divisional Disaster Management Committee managed to deliver food assistance to 6,681 from the total 16,000 affected households. The Divisional Disaster Management Committee was instructed to also include those households which are not in the earlier list of recipients,” he said.
Awang Tengah thanked the divisional disaster management committees, local councils, community leaders, village security and development committees (JKKKs), non-governmental organisations and the relevant federal and state government agencies for their cooperation to ensure timely delivery of food to the affected areas and households.
“The food distribution was made in strict adherence to the Covid-19’s SOP during MCO,” he added.
Also present at the press conference were Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah and Assistant Minister of International Trade and Industry, Industrial Terminal and Entrepreneur Development Datuk Mohd Naroden Majais.
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