SIBU: The state government and the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) are joining hands to deliver food aid to rural communities during the movement control order (MCO) period.
The Malaysian Army’s Eastern Command has been appointed as a focal agency to coordinate and assist in the delivery of food supplies to rural areas in Sarawak.
Army personnel are carrying out loading and off-loading of the food supplies while the air assistance team delivers them to selected locations.
The assets used for the delivery of the food supplies are an aircraft from Royal Malaysian Air Force (TUDM) and two aircrafts owned by Hornbill Skyways Sdn Bhd.
The assistance programme from April 5 to 10 covers five state constituencies, namely Mulu, Telang Usan, Batang Ai, Meluan and Pakan.
On April 5, 400 packs of food were delivered in four sorties to Bario, the first location.
On April 6, 428 packs of food were delivered to four locations in Miri.
The next day, deliveries to only two locations were successful with 328 packs delivered in three sorties. Due to bad weather, deliveries to six other locations were halted.
Hornbill Skyways Sdn Bhd started the delivery for the Lubok Antu sector also on April 7 with 14 sorties and 412 packs while yesterday, 76 packs of food aid were successfully delivered to two locations.
In addition, about 117 packs of food were delivered to six longhouses in Julau. Rh Manding, Ng Banyu received 18 packs; Rh Matili, Ng Setusel received six packs; Rh Anthony Bau, Rantau Tapang received 15 packs; Rh Gerasi, Ng Ju received 36 packs; Rh Nyalih, Lepong Bilat received 26 packs and Rh Suing received 16 packs.
