Community chiefs to take the lead in disaster response

 

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said under the new measures to deal with natural disasters, local community leaders will act as ‘initial responders’.

KUALA LUMPUR: Community leaders are to be at the forefront of disaster management as “initial responders”, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today.

He announced that government ministries and agencies will allocate 5% of their operating and development expenditure for disaster management, prevention and risk mitigation.

He said a meeting of the central disaster management committee had agreed that a whole-of-society approach on disasters needed to be translated into policies involving government agencies and civil society, Bernama reported.

“The government is also aware that climate change is a contributing factor for the floods here. “Disaster management should also be taught at schools, colleges and universities to help the people adapt to the new norms,” he was quoted as saying.

He said the committee also agreed to implement eight strategic measures to improve national disaster management as laid out by the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma).

The committee had stressed that the federal and state governments should take steps to ensure that future floods would not have a major impact on the country and the people.

Ismail said local community leaders would be provided with basic equipment and assistance to carry out early response measures.

The meeting also agreed in principle to proposals by the environment and water ministry, including identifying permanent relief centres and equipping them with facilities such as toilets, bathrooms and storage areas.

According to Ismail, the floods last December resulted in losses amounting to RM6.1 billion in damage to public assets and infrastructure, houses, vehicles, business premises, and agricultural land. - FMT