Selangor victims of gas pipeline fire to receive additional aid from Petronas

VICTIMS affected by the gas pipeline fire in Putra Heights, Subang Jaya, are set to receive additional financial assistance from Petronas, with contributions of RM5,000 and RM2,500 based on the extent of the damage to their homes, announced Selangor’s Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari.

The new contributions are in addition to the initial aid announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Under the revised aid scheme, victims whose homes were completely destroyed will receive a total of RM10,000, while those with partial damage or who were renting properties will be granted RM5,000 each.

“After the registration process closed at 6pm yesterday, 613 households from 437 homes, including those with rented rooms, have completed their registration.

“The first phase of the aid distribution will be carried out by the state government today,” said Amirudin during a press conference at the Selangor State Secretary’s building.

He further confirmed that 219 confirmed victims would receive their aid today, with the State Disaster Management Committee arranging individual meetings for the distribution. He estimated that the process would be completed by Friday.

“Alhamdulillah, we are confident that all will be settled within the week,” he added.

As of now, out of the 437 homes inspected, 81 were confirmed to be completely destroyed, with more than 40 per cent of the structure damaged by the fire.

A further 81 homes were categorized as partially destroyed, 57 experienced damage to their interiors but not their structure, while 218 homes were unaffected by the fire.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who visited the site last Tuesday, had earlier announced immediate assistance of RM5,000 for homeowners whose properties were fully damaged and RM2,500 for more than 100 owners with partially damaged homes.

Additionally, Amirudin revealed that the state government would provide rental assistance of RM2,000 per month for up to six months to those affected, depending on the time required for repairs.

“This financial commitment, amounting to RM7.356 million, was decided after receiving complaints from victims about the previous temporary accommodation offered by the Selangor Housing and Property Board (LPHS) in Kota Warisan, Sepang, which was considered too far from their original homes,” said Amirudin.

“We are aiming to finalise this next week, and we will distribute the funds to all head of households so they can use the money for temporary rentals. After six months, some may be able to return to their homes, except for those whose homes were completely destroyed, which will take a little longer,” he added.

Amirudin also confirmed that, in response to previous announcements, 87 homes through Airbnb have been made available for temporary accommodation. Distribution of these spaces is set to begin on Wednesday, with priority given to homeowners whose properties were completely destroyed.

To streamline the distribution of aid, he said the Selangor government would launch a dedicated website for victims to report the assistance they have received.

This would also allow officials to track the distribution of aid and ensure transparency.

“The website will enable registered victims and our officers to track how much assistance has been disbursed, as well as the percentage of aid that has reached the affected individuals,” he said. – April 7, 2025