KOTA KINABALU – The Sandakan people whose homes were destroyed by the high tide last month may not be allowed to rebuild their homes in the Kg Forest squatter area.
Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Mohd Noor said a new area would be identified for them to settle as he waits for the disaster report from the Sandakan district disaster committee.
“We are still waiting for the report from the district disaster committee.
“A couple of views have been given. One of them is that they do not want to rebuild their homes in the area.
“We will have to look for a new and suitable area (for the villagers to settle),” he told reporters after visiting more damaged homes in Kg Tg Aru here today.
Hajiji did not mention who suggested that the Kg Forest villagers could not return to the disaster-hit area, but local Sandakan authorities confirmed to the Vibes that the village is not gazetted as a village reserve.
The high tide disaster, which struck several parts of Sabah between December 24 and 26, has left 655 individuals from 114 families homeless in the aftermath.
Some 311 individuals from 67 families, who are Malaysian citizens, were given a month to find themselves new homes after they were temporarily placed in government housing at the Batu Putih Mile 7 People’s Housing Project (PPR).
The remaining non-Malaysian victims are currently placed in tents erected at the Taman Harmoni Hall PPR near Mile 3, Sandakan.
Earlier, Hajiji said he handed over RM1,000 each to 36 Kg Tg Aru folks whose houses were destroyed or partially damaged in the high tide incident on December 22.
Additionally, he said RM20,000 will be given to three residents each as their homes were destroyed, while RM10,000 each would be given to 33 families whose homes were partially damaged by the incident last month. – The Vibes, January 3, 2023
