KPKT ASSURES SUFFICIENT ASSETS FOR SECOND WAVE OF FLOODS

KOTA BHARU, Dec 7 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) will improve operations and ensure that assets involving land, water and air are sufficient to face the next wave of floods.

Its Deputy Minister, Datuk Aiman ​​Athirah Sabu said that, as such, over 80,000 members from other rescue agencies, of which 20,000 are firefighters and rescuers, have been put on standby.

She said that to tackle the next wave of floods, the ministry will focus on rescue efforts in Kelantan with the strength of personnel and logistics standing at 12 lorries, 62 boats, nine vans and 46 four-wheel drive (4WD) vehicles.

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"For the rapid action team, we assigned a total of 28 members along with nine heavy vehicles, six boats and eight 4WD vehicles," she said after attending the Kelantan field visit at the Flood Operations Room at the Tunjong Fire and Rescue Headquarters here today.

Aiman Athirah said KPKT also forged an integrated collaboration with the disaster management unit based at the Kelantan police headquarters, the Civil Defence Force and the Ministry of Health.

"We are also preparing to receive help from outside Kelantan. Apart from land vehicles, we are preparing five helicopters that can be mobilised to rescue victims, including ferrying food supplies," she said.

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Earlier in the briefing, she said KPKT carried out evacuation assistance for 502 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination students on Dec 2 using boats and lorries around Rantau Panjang in Pasir Mas and Pengkalan Kubor in Tumpat.

The relocation involved five fire and rescue stations, namely from Rantau Panjang, Pengkalan Kubor, Wakaf Bharu and Tumpat, which ferried students from their residences and temporary evacuation centres to their examination centres.

-- BERNAMA