NORTHEAST MONSOON: APM MONITORS FLOOD, LANDLISDE HOSTPOTS NATIONWIDE

PUTRAJAYA, Nov 8 (Bernama) -- The Civil Defence Force (APM) is taking proactive measures by conducting monitoring of hotspot areas prone to disasters such as floods and landslides in preparation for the northeast monsoon (MTL).

APM chief commissioner Datuk Aminurrahim Mohamed said the agency conducted patrols a minimum of five times a week in identified hot spot areas as part of its preparations to face possible floods.

“In the last 10 months, we have carried out more than 30,000 patrols nationwide and reported over 2,000 incidents that could potentially threaten public safety to relevant authorities, including the Fire and Rescue Department,” he told reporters after an engagement session on government preparations for MTL 2024/2025 at the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team Base in Pulau Meranti here today.

Aminurrahim stated that the monitoring team, comprising three members in each district, not only reports incidents that may result in floods and landslides, but also tracks environmental issues such as water and air pollution.

Meanwhile, National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) director-general Datuk Khairul Shahril Idrus said during the briefing that a total of 4,619 flood hotspots have been identified nationwide.

He said that this involved 3,605 locations in the peninsula, 799 in Sabah, 201 in Sarawak, and 14 in Labuan.

According to Khairul Shahril the hot spot areas were determined by locations that have experienced at least three floods in the last three years.

“Additionally, we monitor 254 critical slopes nationwide, including 86 classified as high risk, 84 as medium-risk, and 84 as low-risk,” he said.

--BERNAMA