Minister: Malaysians don’t understand colour-coded weather alert system

PARLIAMENT | Malaysians, in general, do not understand the three-tier colour-coded alert system for severe weather, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Wilfred Madius Tangau.

"The Malaysian Meteorological Department will change the colour-coded alert system to written form," he told Dewan Rakyat during Minister's Question Time today.

"The colour-coded system – yellow, amber and red – isn't quite good; we admit that there is lack of understanding of community in general about it," he said.

According to Madius, the department will replace the colour codes with "waspada" (caution), "buruk" (bad) and "bahaya" (dangerous).

He was asked by Noraini Ahmad (BN-Parit Sulong) about the efforts that the government will take to ensure weather alert message reach rural areas, so that he people there can prepare for possible natural disasters.

Following the massive floods in Penang earlier this month, the Meteorological Department was blamed for failing to issue adequate warnings.

The department claimed in response that sufficient warnings had been issued through TV channels and social media.

According to Madius, media outlets have agreed to prioritise weather alert messages from the department.

The minister also acknowledged weaknesses in the standard operating procedures to deal with bad weather events after warnings are issued.

"We admit that we do have certain weaknesses in the SOP, in particular the communication between the Meteorological Department and other agencies, especially the National Disaster Management Agency," he said. 

"This is something we have to improve so these agencies are prepared to handle flood issues," he said, without addressing the other weaknesses identified. - Mkini