PUTRAJAYA: The government is providing 79,549 officers and safety agency personnel and rescuers at all levels together with assets as a preparation to face the monsoon season beginning mid-September until November 2022.
Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said, to enhance the preparedness of the Malaysian Family, 155 Disaster Riski Management Community Base (CBDRM) with 12,534 participants consisting of community heads, youths and non-governmental organisations (NGO) will be involved.
Ismail added, the District Disaster Management Committee (JPBD) will be chaired by the District Officer and should be activated immediately besides empowering its functions in all disaster locations.
“This is because the JPBD has important functions to implement such as the rescuing works and delivering aids at the disaster locations while the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) and JPBD facilitate at the Federal and states.
“For the victims’ management, the Social Welfare Department (JKM) is prepared to activate 6,010 Temporary Relief Centers (PPS) nationwide that have the capacity to locate 1,620,855 victims.
“The government has allocated RM2.59 million to uplift the basic facilities in all PPS such as providing bathrooms and toilets,” Ismail said.
Ismail said that after chairing the Federal Disaster Management Committee that was attended by the National Chief Secretary, Menteri Besar/Chief Ministers, Director General of Public Services, State Government Secretary as Chairman of JPBN and agencies related.
Ismail said, according to the Malaysia Meteorology Department (MET Malaysia), the monsoon transit phase will start in the middle of September until November. MET Malaysia expects the North-East Monsoon 2022/2023 will start in November 2022 until March 2023.
“Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang are expected to have heavy monsoon rain starting November until December 2022 while Johor, Sabah and Sarawak are expected to have heavy monsoon rain starting December 2022 until January 2023,” Ismail added.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education has been directed that school hostels not occupied by students during the disaster to be utilised by members of the public that are affected specifically to provide comfort to senior citizens, children and females.
“JKM also provides retort food within the first 24 hours, baby and senior citizens needs such as pampers for victims of the disaster who have been moved to the PPS,” Ismail said.
The government has also allocated Disaster Operation Management MTL 2022/2023 to JPBN for 160 districts. An allocation of RM4.8 million has also been provided by the government to provide 320 fibre boats with engines for the districts involved as an effort to empower the community’s roles as initial responder when the disaster happens.
“The government has also activated 22,622 water assets such as trailer boat and jet ski owned by all agencies nationwide to face the coming monsoon season,” Ismail said. –Malaysia World News
