MIRI: A news report that the people of Kampung Kuala Tutoh have run out of cooking gas and are being cut off from receiving emergency aid is false, said Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau and Tuai Kampung Ben Wak.
In the story reported by The Star last Monday, Kampung Kuala Tutoh Lakiput Association senior member Michael Ding said all the households in Kampung Kuala Tutoh had run out of cooking gas due to the current monsoon season.
“Several victims sent out an SOS, highlighting their predicament as they were cut off from the outside world due to the remoteness,” the report added.
According to Dennis, the report has a political agenda as the person providing the information was Michael Ding who is with an opposition party.
“There are a couple of longhouses in my constituency that were flooded but there was no such report of Kampung Kuala Tutoh being completely cut off from other areas in receiving emergency aid since day one of the flooding,” he said.
Tuai Kampung Ben Wak, who also denied the report, said, “I was confused when The Star simply wrote the report. It had never set foot in this village to verify the facts.
“Following the flood incidents, the Marudi District Office have sent us emergency flood aid. Recently, it informed it was going to send another package.
“When the floods first happened, I stayed in the village with my people and found that there wasn’t any shortage of cooking gas. I stayed in the village until the floodwaters started to recede and we are now cleaning the porch areas.”
Dennis said he had been monitoring the situation constantly and was communicating not only with the Telang Usan flood command centre (Telang Usan District office) but even went to the ground personally to check.
“Apart from that, personnel from various government agencies also visited the affected longhouses in my constituency besides sending basic need assistance.
“I am very happy with my longhouse community leaders and members of the longhouse Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK) for doing a good job by monitoring and reporting the flood situation to me and the command centre,” added Dennis.
