RM5.6m in federal flood aid for Penang ready to be distributed

GEORGE TOWN: The cash aid that was promised by the federal government for the Penang flood victims will finally be paid, said Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.
Lim, however, said the cash aid will only be distributed to 22,534 households totalling RM5.6 million or RM250 for each household.
"I am disappointed that the amount is less than what the Penang state government had asked for the victims," he said in a press conference at Komtar today.
Lim also appealed to the federal government to match what flood victims in other states get which is RM500.
He said Penang is still part of Malaysia and should not be sidelined.
He also questioned why the cash aid was only for 22,534 victims as more than 50,000 were affected by the floods.
A total of 52,353 flood victims had received the one-off RM700 under the Penang Bounce Back programme.
The cash incentive program was for victims affected by the massive floods that hit the state on Nov 4 and 5 last year.
Meanwhile, Lim who appeared dissatisfied with the mainstream media shot back at his critics by showing a picture of Star Media Group CEO Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai with the businessman implicated in receiving a RM19 million bribe to close the probe on the RM6.3 billion Penang Undersea tunnel project.
The picture showed Wong, the businessman and another unidentified person pictured together at a function.
I'm not going to show a photo of the businessman with a BN minister, no I am not going to do that.
"But I want to show a photo of an MCA supporter with the businessman, I am not making any allegations but just want to show Wee Ka Siong this photo," he said.
In a swift response, Wong said he as a known media practitioner and the CEO of Star Media Group, met all kinds of people in the course of his work.
He said on many occasions people had requested to have their photo taken with him, adding that most of them were not known to him.
"As evident in this photo where there are more than two people present, this is a public function and not in anyone's private residence.
"I was dressed in my black dinner jacket and for sure was wearing my shoes when that particular photo was taken," he said in a statement.