Kuala lumpur: Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the state are urged to coordinate their flood relief efforts through the Malaysian NGO Disaster Relief Coalition (BBNGO) to ensure equitable distribution of essential aid and prevent overlapping assistance at affected locations.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, BBNGO Northeast Monsoon Flood Relief Project (MTL) coordinator Assoc Prof Dr Mohd Rizal Mohd Zain emphasized the importance of coordination with the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA), the Social Welfare Department (JKM), and other agencies. This coordination is particularly crucial during the early stages of evacuations when demand for supplies surges and information at temporary relief centres (PPS) changes rapidly.

He stated that past experiences, especially during the 2014 floods, revealed that NGOs operating without official data often caused duplication of aid. In such instances, some PPS received repeated supplies while other affected families elsewhere were overlooked.

Mohd Rizal highlighted that BBNGO's network has been instrumental in streamlining distribution. Under the first phase of the MTL 2025 programme, funded by Yayasan Hasanah and the SP Setia Foundation, 600 mattresses, 600 batik sarongs, 600 pelikat sarongs, 50 kilograms of fruit, and 100 packs of disposable diapers were distributed. The total assistance is valued at RM150,000.

He further noted that part of the aid has been channelled to Perlis through partner NGOs, based on the current flood situation.