ALOR STAR: Kedah Civil Defence Force (APM) has mobilised 60 of its personnel under Ops Prihatin to provide assistance to road users using federal and state roads in the state throughout the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration period.
Its director Zairil Anuar Zulmuji said phase one of Ops Prihatin started on Friday and will run until this Tueday while the second phase of the operation will run for three days beginning April12.
"During Ops Prihatin, we will be conducting patrols and aiding road users in emergency cases, including vehicles involved in accidents or breakdowns while traveling back to their hometowns.
"The 60 APM personnel from 12 districts involved in the operation are on standby for 24 hours for any emergency cases.
"We will conduct patrols at major state and federal roads, especially those involving tourist areas and rest stops," he told reporters after flagging off the state-level Ops Prihatin at the Kota Setar district APM headquarters here today.
Zairil also advised the public returning for the Hari Raya celebration to plan their travels carefully to avoid traffic congestion.
He also assured that the APM are always prepared to handle potential natural disasters during this festive season.
He did not rule out the possibility of incidents involving storms and strong winds during Hari Raya Aidilfitri due to the monsoon transition phase.
"This follows the announcement by the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) regarding the commencement of the monsoon transition phase expected to start on March 29 and continue until May.
"This transition phase marks the end of the Northeast Monsoon Season.
During this period, we have received two storm incidents in the state so far," he said.