The people of Sri Muda got flood aid from the gomen… but they can’t even apply.

We were recently reached out to by some of the people within the Taman Sri Muda community who voiced their concerns on some of the confusion they’ve faced in the process of applying for the ‘Bantuan Banjir Keluarga Malaysia‘ initiative, where monetary relief will be given to aid the flood victims who were greatly affected by the severe floods that swept our nation in December last year.

In the initiative, monetary relief of up to RM61,000 will be given out to each household, to help them rebuild and repair their properties which were damaged by the flood. That is… if they’re even able to claim it in the first place.

So, we spoke to Sohnia, a resident at Sri Muda, to find out what some of these problems are and what exactly has been done to fix it. Here’s what we found…

They had to prepare way too many documents in a short period of time.

Getting documents ready for an application is already a whole hassle in itself, but just imagine if you had to get the same task done when you don’t currently have access to printing equipment nor the means of transportation to get to a nearby printing shop. We don’t know about ugaiz, but that sounds near impossible to us.

But as difficult as it sounds, that’s exactly what the victims of the flood have had to experience, even when they’re just trying to apply for the government aids.

“Because we don’t have transportation, we have to walk here and there to get the documentation done. We can’t get a grab because it’s expensive, and some of us can’t even walk because of infections that were caused by the flood! We feel really burdened by this situation.” – Sohnia, to CILISOS.

What’s even more painful to hear is that some of the flood victims were not even able to save their important documents during the flood, which makes the process that much harder. Fortunately though, there’s also a program in place to help the flood victims replace important documents like their birth certs, IC cards, or any other forms of identification for free.

But what’s not as fortunate is that this whole process might take some time, which these flood victims don’t have, as the whole government aids application process has a time limit. 

Yep. ‘Cause if it wasn’t bad enough that they had to get tons of documents prepared for the applications, they also needed to get it most of it done within a short amount of time. Not to mention, most of these applications were required to be done in-person, and often during working hours, which ends being very inconvenient.

And that’s not all…

They’re confused on WHEN they’re getting the financial aid… and no one has answers.

Here’s the thing: There are multiple flood-recovery financial aids, which are being given by the various different ministries and governmental agencies in Malaysia. In fact, there are about 7 of them (6, for those who aren’t residing within Selangor), each with a different set of requirements, process, and timeline.

And if there’s anything we’ve learned from past experience, it’s that there usually isn’t very much coordination between these ministries and agencies… which has resulted in very much confusion on the people’s end.

“Like for the KPKT form that was supposed to be for the house reparations, we only found out after submitting it that it wasn’t even to claim the financial aid, but just to get a contractor to come to your house. So, where is the RM 5,000 application? And when will we be able to get the financial aid? Many of us are still displaced from our homes, and are unsure of when help will actually arrive.” – Sohnia.

And it’s not just that initiative alone. Sohnia also mentioned that most of the information that has been shared by the ministries on social media were overlapping each other or were unable to provide a solid guideline on how to begin the application process. She also said that many of the residents have grown weary after questioning the authorities on the progress of getting these aids, and getting confusing answers in return.

“We’ve submitted our forms to the ADUN’s office, but even the ADUN himself said that he is unsure of the process, as they are merely assisting. This is very frustrating, because none of us can start work since nothing has been given yet.” – Sohnia.

So, we got in touch with the ADUN of Kota Kemuning, Y.B. Tuan Ganabatirau A/L Veraman, to hear what he has to say about the matter…

There have been some changes, but there’s still much confusion at hand.

Since the first time the residents voiced their concerns on the matter, there have been some amendments made to the situation; such as the process of applying for the Bantuan Wang Ihsan (BWI) and Bantuan Keperluan Harian (BKH), which have been simplified due to the efforts of the state government in Selangor.

“I appealed to the agencies to use the same form for the Bantuan Wang Ihsan (worth RM1,000) and Bantuan Keperluan Harian (worth RM2,500), as the one being used to claim the Bantuan Selangor Bangkit (Selangor’s own financial aid worth RM1,000). So, now if someone is applicable for even one of the financial aids, they will receive a total of RM4,500 from both the state and federal government.” – YB Ganabatirau Veraman, to CILISOS.

The application process to receive all three grants has also been simplified for the ease of the people. Instead of going around to collect and print out multiple forms of documentation, all that needs to be done would be to print out a photocopy of one’s IC and fill out a form at the Land Office. The deadline for submission was also extended to the end of January, which allows for those who might be preoccupied with their jobs to be able to claim the financial aid without much hassle.

We also heard from YB Ganabatirau that there are plans to make the rebates for the electricity bills of flood victims automatic. However, there is still much that has yet to be resolved.

“Honestly, most of these programs are from the federal government, so we (the state government) are just there to assist. Unfortunately, we have never really gotten any briefing or clear explanation on some of these programs, and there is no proper guidelines on how they are going about this.” – YB Ganabatirau Veraman.

He also stated that while he’s made appeals, it still hasn’t led to very much as most of the decision-making is made by the ministries themselves. He also mentioned that most of the “help” he’s seen thus far has also come directly from members of the public themselves, who sent him provisions for the flood victims.

Those who have been affected by the flood and are looking for provisions can also check out YB Ganabatirau’s Facebook page for posts and updates on provisions which will be given out, and further information on the financial aids, when the information becomes available.

Their livelihoods are at stake, but there’s still so much that hasn’t been done.

Though, there is also a valid reason on why some of these initiatives might take longer, as the screening process will have to be detailed to ensure that those who are receiving the financial aid do truly need it. However, the main problem here is the lack of coordination, transparency, and clear explanation on the about the process and timelines of the applications.

Many of Taman Sri Muda’s residents are still displaced from their homes as they don’t have the financial capability to repair/rebuild their homes and purchase the appliances that were damaged in the flood, which affects their overall livelihoods.

“Even though this was an unusual situation, both the state government and the federal government should be better-prepared in terms of planning, be more accountable, and prioritize the livelihood of the people.” – YB Ganabatirau.

While there doesn’t seem to be any new changes on this at the moment, we’ll keep an eye out for any future developments and update this article accordingly!