KOTA BHARU: All agencies under the State Disaster Management Committee are now on full alert ahead of the Northeast Monsoon expected to begin in November.
The National Disaster Management Agency Mitigation Division director Ahmad Shahrir Md Nazri said preparedness measures follow the Malaysian Meteorological Department’s early forecast predicting continuous rainfall and possible major flooding between November and December.
He stated that NADMA has streamlined coordination efforts through the State Disaster Management Committee based on past flood experiences.
All relevant agencies are now on the ground including the deployment of mobile pumps in hotspot areas and the allocation of special funds for additional assets.
Ahmad Shahrir said NADMA through the National Disaster Command Centre has instructed all states to hold early coordination meetings and review logistical needs.
All equipment and facilities have been prepared and temporary evacuation centres will be activated immediately if necessary.
The locations of temporary evacuation centres have also been identified in advance according to the director.
One key measure emphasised this year is the enhancement of the aid distribution mechanism and logistics coordination to prevent delays.
We are aware that logistical issues such as equipment being located far from affected areas often arise during disasters.
Therefore the placement of assets has been planned closer to the ground and made more accessible to implementing agencies this time.
The Department of Irrigation and Drainage currently has more than 200 mobile pumps and will receive an additional 41 new units.
These mobile pumps will be deployed according to current needs and will not be permanently installed at any single location.
This is crucial to expedite the process of water reflow once the rain subsides.
Ahmad Shahrir urged all parties including the media to disseminate accurate and verified information during flood season.
He hopes that official communication channels of NADMA and the National Disaster Command Centre are fully utilised.
A total of 1,912 flood hotspots have been identified nationwide with temporary evacuation centre locations also prepared.
The hotspots include Sabah with 318 locations Sarawak with 236 Kedah with 221 Pahang with 172 Kelantan with 26 and Terengganu with 17.
These hotspots were identified as most affected areas in these states consist of low-lying land and steep terrain. – Bernama