The federal government has acceded to a request by Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang to raise from RM7 to RM15 from this year the budget for the daily meals of flood victims.

"I know the difficulty that the people go through every time it floods.

NONE"They lose their homes, property, crops, and sometimes even lives," the sultan told reporters after attending a briefing on preparations for the floods, at Wisma Sri Pahang in Kuantan.

Sultan Ahmad Shah said Pahang was prepared to face the floods which could occur at any time now.

"Foodstuff has been made available at the foward bases in every flood-prone district while air and land transport facilities and personnel are ready to render assistance to the people in the event of floods," he said.

The sultan said nine police and military helicopters were on standby to take food to the affected areas and help the victims.

On the medical aspect, he asked for another doctor to be sent to Tioman island where there was only one doctor.

The sultan said the leave for civil servants and armed forces personnel in the state had been frozen from Dec 15 to Jan 15.

- Bernama