FIVE HOUSES DESTROYED IN KG PULAU KETAM FIRE, PMO TO HELP BUILD NEW ONES

KANGAR, March 18 (Bernama) -- The Prime Minister's Office (PMO), through the Federal Development Office, Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU) of the Prime Minister’s Department (JPM) in Perlis, will assist in building five new houses for the victims whose homes were destroyed in a fire in Kampung Pulau Ketam, Kuala Perlis, near here, yesterday.

Perlis Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Noor Amin Ahmad said that the five houses that were destroyed in the fire will be rebuilt with an allocation of RM80,000 for each house.

Noor Amin, who is also the chairman of the Perlis PKR State Leadership Council (MPN), said that for this, the state government's approval in terms of land approval is needed to enable the construction of the new houses to proceed.

"We have met with the fire victims, and they are happy and grateful for this assistance ... I believe the recovery and rehabilitation steps will proceed as quickly as possible," he told reporters during Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's aid distribution at the location today.

Also participating in the event was Perlis ICU JPM director Maznah Musa.

Meanwhile, Noor Amin said the Prime Minister, through the Perlis ICU JPM, provided a total cash aid of RM10,000 to the victims from the five houses, while RM3,000 more was given to the victims from the three houses that were also affected due to the fire's impact.

Yesterday, the media reported that the excitement of the five families, including a 70-year-old, to celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri, was shattered after their homes of more than 50 years were razed yesterday afternoon.

Quoting the media report, the close proximity of the houses and the strong winds caused the fire to spread rapidly.

-- BERNAMA