Sarawak civil defence dept eyes more non-bumi members

2009/11/29

SIBU, Sun: The Sarawak Civil Defence Department hopes to recruit more non-Bumiputeras in its recruitment drive for 1,500 new members next year, its director Col Che Othman Hussin said. He said that of the more than 5,000 members statewide at present, only about 500 or 10 per cent were non-Bumiputeras.

"We need to recruit more Chinese and other non-Bumiputera volunteers in line with the 1Malaysia concept and to reflect the plural nature of the country's population.

"We believe all races must be involved in doing what we are doing," he said after witnessing a parade to mark the closing of its annual training programme for 160 members from here, Mukah, Betong and the Sri Aman divisions here today.

Che Othman said for its recruitment drive this year, the department managed to attract 1,300 volunteers out of the targeted 1,500.

He said the department hoped to acquire more assets like ambulance cars, boats and others for used during emergencies such as flood, fire and landslide. -- BERNAMA