RANTAU PANJANG: The Education Ministry today assured that the learning process will not be affected at schools that will be turned into permanent flood evacuation centres.
Its minister Fadhlina Sidek said the ministry has briefed the school authorities about the project and told them to be prepared.
"The ministry has informed about nine schools in the country that will be turned into permanent flood evacuation centres include one in Kelantan which is SK Gual Tinggi.
"We agreed to the proposal as the project will make the centre more organised.
"There will be halls that can accommodate more families and this will provide some comfort to the flood victims.
"The state education departments of the respective schools will be handling this school-cum-permanent evacuation centres according to the ministry's guidelines to ensure a smooth learning process," she said.
She was speaking to reporters after visiting flood victims at SK Gual Tinggi here today.
She hoped that the administration of SK Gual Tinggi has made the necessary preparations as it is the only school in Kelantan to be turned into a permanent flood evacuation centre.
In October, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Functions) Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said the first permanent evacuation centres were expected to be ready and operational in 2026.
He said the government, in tabling the Madani Budget on Oct 13, had approved the construction of nine centres in the nine states that are often hit by floods, including Sabah and Sarawak.
He added that the ceiling cost of each centre was set at RM5 million and each would be equipped with facilities like an accommodation hall, kitchen, special women's room, nursing mother's room, prayer room, toilets, treatment room as well as other amenities that are friendly to persons with disabilities (PwDs).
He added the FInance Ministry had channelled the allocations to the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) to implement the projects and they will be carried out in stages.
Armizan said the proposed sites were SK Gual Tinggi in Pasir Mas, Kelantan; SK Seri Medan in Batu Pahat, Johor; SK Benta in Kuala Lipis, Pahang; SK Perwira in Teluk Intan, Perak; SK Machang Bubok in Penang; SK Banggol Peradong in Kuala Terengganu and SK Beradek in Kuching, Sarawak; while those in Kedah and Sabah are still being evaluated by their respective state Education Departments.
According to him, each centre can accommodate an estimated 500 victims at any one time and all projects are being built in schools for immediate implementation and to avoid land-related issues.
