9,800 PERSONNEL, 7,000 ASSETS MOBILISED TO TACKLE FLOODS - DPM AHMAD ZAHID

TAWAU, Nov 26 (Bernama) -- A total of 9,800 personnel from various government agencies and 7,000 operational assets have been mobilised nationwide as part of preparations to tackle flood disasters, said Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

The Deputy Prime Minister said the government has also made available modular steel panel bridges, or Bailey bridges, to address situations where roads are cut off due to flooding.

“We have prepared seven Bailey bridges in Peninsular Malaysia, three for Sabah and four for Sarawak.

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“We are also in the process of mobilising and increasing the number of these bridges,” he told reporters after attending the Community Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Exploration Programme at Tawau Community College here today.

Also present was Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir.

Ahmad Zahid, who also chairs the Central Disaster Management Committee, said the government has readied 9,058 temporary relief centres (PPS) across the country, capable of accommodating up to 2.189 million flood evacuees.

“We must always be on alert because Vietnam and the Philippines are experiencing extraordinarily heavy rainfall. As a result, in the northern part of the peninsula and on the east coast, areas that previously did not experience floods are now affected, including Bagan Datuk.

“In Bagan Datuk, four PPS have been opened. For decades, this area has not been flooded, but now even my own village is inundated,” he said.

Ahmad Zahid also instructed all relevant agencies to enhance their preparedness, as current figures show that 188 PPS have been activated nationwide to house about 22,000 flood victims.

Meanwhile, the Barisan Nasional chairman reminded the 1.7 million voters in Sabah who will be heading to the polls this Saturday to cast their votes early in the morning to avoid any possibility of rain.

This morning, a Public Works Department spokesperson said two landslide incidents were reported at Jalan Bukit Bendera Upper, Kota Kinabalu, namely at KM 0.850 near Bayshore Condominium and KM 2.550, following continuous heavy rain.

-- BERNAMA