KAJANG: The Malaysian Civil Defence Force has mobilised a 900-strong team in Sabah to respond to various disaster incidents occurring statewide during the ongoing monsoon transition season.
APM Chief Commissioner Datuk Aminurrahim Mohamed confirmed that disaster incidents including floods, landslides, and road disruptions have affected 1,136 residents across Penampang, Membakut, and Papar districts as of this morning.
He explained that while the force normally assigns approximately 300 personnel throughout Sabah, they have now increased deployment to 900 members including volunteers to handle any incidents.
“The number of victims is decreasing thankfully, and some have already returned home after sheltering at temporary evacuation centres,“ he told reporters during the 20th anniversary celebration of the Civil Defence Training Academy.
Aminurrahim noted that Malaysia is currently transitioning from the Southwest Monsoon to the Northeast Monsoon, which typically brings an increased risk of flooding.
He observed that although the Northeast Monsoon has not officially begun, Sabah is experiencing earlier flooding compared to last year when Kedah faced similar early flooding incidents.
Several technical agencies including the Public Works Department and geology experts have been mobilised to assess the current situation in affected Sabah areas to ensure rapid and effective aid delivery.
Continuous rain since last week has caused floods and landslides in several parts of the state, resulting in 14 fatalities including one flood-related death according to previous reports. – Bernama
