JOHOR BARU: Staff of agencies under the State Disaster Management Committee have been advised to stay calm and rational especially in times of stress during a crisis.
Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal (pix) was referring to recent incidents such as the air pollution in Pasir Gudang and forest fire in Gelang Patah.
He said the situation in both cases could have been handled better if the staff concerned had kept their wits about them.
“Incidents like these could sometimes be easily manageable but when there is panic, stress ... minor incidents can turn into a major issue. So, learn to control stress,“ he said at an appreciation ceremony for the Johor Disaster Management Committee here yesterday.
He said the state government via the relevant departments and agencies had already taken a strategic, planned and systematic approach to manage the two incidents.
“They responded swiftly to the incidents and did not hesitate to make a decision because the people’s wellbeing is their priority especially those in the affected areas,“ he noted.
He said decisions were made collectively among the state government, relevant departments and agencies and non-governmental organisations to ensure appropriate and effective management of the situation.
“Not confined to that, post-disaster followups involving monitoring, enforcement and engagement to prevent a repeat of such incidents were also executed,” he said.
Meanwhile, 38 agencies were commended for their role in handling the pollution at Pasir Gudang and forest fire in Gelang Patah.
Department of Environment, National Disaster Management Agency, Fire and Rescue Department, Department of Irrigation and Drainage and Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change were among the frontliners in tackling the two crises. — Bernama
