Malaysian Civil Defence Force readies 3,000 to 5,000 personnel and auxiliary teams for possible second wave of floods during monsoon season
KOTA TINGGI: The Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM) is prepared to mobilise thousands of personnel in anticipation of a possible second wave of floods.
APM Training Management Division director Colonel (PA) Effendy Ali said 3,000 to 5,000 officers and personnel nationwide are on standby.
Operations will also be supported by Civil Defence Auxiliary (CDA) teams, which currently have around 5,000 members.
“The CDA are first responders, and if their own areas are unaffected, they will be deployed to assist elsewhere as needed,” he told reporters.
Effendy said logistics and equipment are sufficient and ready for deployment following the northeast monsoon.
He urged the public, particularly residents in low-lying areas, to stay alert and make early preparations.
Preparations include safeguarding themselves, their families and important documents.
Effendy spoke after launching the MADANI Adopted Village Programme at Felda Air Tawar 1.
Under the programme, APM aims to adopt 200 villages nationwide.
At Felda Air Tawar 1, 10 projects have been planned or implemented.
These include training residents as CDA members and stabilising clinic embankments.
Projects also involve widening access roads and upgrading cemetery infrastructure.
Providing public facilities such as toilets, fire hydrants and bus stops is also part of the plan.
APM has conducted Disaster Risk Reduction exercises in the area.
The force also removed 20 hazardous trees and cleared 25 homes of vulnerable residents.
These actions are part of proactive emergency preparedness measures. – Bernama
