SEGAMAT: The Bantuan Wang Ihsan (BWI) or compassionate aid must reach all flood victims in affected areas immediately, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

       He said the victims should have received the cash assistance before leaving the temporary flood relief centres where they had sought shelter.

       "We do not want them to only get the aid after six months, as happened previously (where it took three to six months to reach them).

       "The assistance could help to reduce their burden, especially as many have lost their belongings due to the floods," he told a press conference after visiting flood victims at Kampung Tandong in Segamat here on Tuesday (Jan 4).

       He added that all 26 heads of household in the relief centre here have received the RM1,000 cash aid from the Federal Government and RM500 from the Johor state government.

       "Although they would only be able to go home in two or three more days, they have all received the cash aid.

       "We expect the same thing to also happen at other relief centres," he said.

       On Monday (Jan 3), Ismail Sabri said all flood victims in Kelantan, Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, Terengganu and Perak have received the BWI assistance, with the remaining payments expected to be completed on Wednesday (Jan 5).