BENTONG: An audit firm has been appointed to ensure that the expenditure to rebuild Kampung Baru Karak is accounted for, says Tan Sri Liow Tiong Lai.
Liow, who heads a Special Task Force to rebuild the homes of the fire victims, said that Crowe Malaysia PLT is ranked fifth globally and added that it has been appointed to uphold transparency and ensure that the money collected is only used for the rebuilding
A fire destroyed more than 50 houses and eight shops – the largest and most devastating fire in the small town's history – and left over a hundred people homeless.
Prior to this, Liow and MCA veteran Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy handed over a total of RM1.1mil to the Kampung Baru Karak Village security and development committee (JKKK) at a ceremony witnessed by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.
The King had visited the victims on Nov 5 and witnessed the handover of the mock cheques by charitable companies and the public.
Meanwhile, Karak JKKK treasurer Chiew Chee Man said clearing works began on Tuesday (Nov 16).
On Oct 1, 53 houses and eight shops were razed in a fire at Kampung Baru Karak.
Two days later, another fire broke out at the nearby Kampung Sungai Karak, destroying three more homes.
Liow, a former Bentong MP, acted swiftly and reached out to the victims and set up a special task force to assist the victims.
He said the task force’s scope included serving as a communication bridge between the victims and the local authorities, coordinating the reconstruction work, launching fundraising campaigns, and liasing on all technical issues in various professional fields involved in the reconstruction.
Following this, a dedicated group consisting of professionals from architects and engineers to land surveyors and legal experts also came on board voluntarily to share their expertise to the victims at no charge.
Liow said the task force includes all victims and would work closely with them to rebuild the area.