Civil Defence targets 3 million staff by 2018

The Civil Defence Force (APM) is targeting to have three million personnel in 2018, says Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Shahidan Kassim.

Shahidan said so far almost two million people had joined the voluntary body and the total was expected to increase.

“We will expand on the participation of civil servants, students at higher education institutions and schools as well as members of the public to achieve the target,” he told reporters after opening a Perlis Welfare Department Volunteers Appreciation Night in Kangar last night.

He said APM needed a large membership to assist other agencies for example the Welfare Department to operate evacuation centres in a disaster.

“They do not have enough employees, so with the help of APM personnel including volunteers, the work of rendering assistance to victims would be made smoother,” he said.

- Bernama