IPOH: Perak will be the first state to create a Civil Defence Community Award of Excellence next year.
Chief Commissioner of the Malaysian Civil Defence Force (CDF), Datuk Aminurrahim Mohamed, said the selection of Perak for a pilot project of the initiative was based on the commitment and various successes achieved by members and officers in the state.
"I am very pleased to entrust the Perak State CDF to carry out a study or be a pioneer to provide excellence for the community at an early stage.
"We hope that when implemented in Perak and met with good response, it can be expanded throughout the country.
"This community excellence award reflects how the state CDF will work together with the people to improve the communal skills and knowledge in handling emergency situations, equipment apart from helping themselves, their families and also the community at large," he said.
He said this at a press conference after presenting the APM Service and Excellence Ribbon Award covering various service achievement categories to 102 Perak CDF members here today (November 28).
Aminurrahim said CDF plans to implement the Civil Defence Community Excellence Award in stages in several districts starting in Larut, Matang and Selama since those locations have Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions that can jointly make the effort a success.
In the meantime, he said a total of 19 new land vehicles were supplied to Perak CDF today, including 12 motorcycles, four-wheel drive vehicles, ambulances and administrative vehicles to improve the team's preparedness in disaster and flood operations.
According to him, a total of 150 members of the Disaster Support Response Team (Paras) are in Perak and ready to be mobilised to assist other states in operational tasks throughout the North East Monsoon (MTL) phase.
He said that for the state, a total of 286 flood hotspots have been identified and the Perak CDF has activated its Operations Room since November 1 to coordinate and report on the current situation as well as periodic monitoring of flood risk areas in each district.
He said APM also intends to continue the Op Ramah approach with the community by providing awareness without taking enforcement action on victims who refuse to move out of their homes when a flood occurs. — Bernama