ALL AGENCIES READY TO FACE NORTHEAST MONSOON IN NOVEMBER - NADMA

KOTA BHARU, Oct 8 (Bernama) -- All agencies under the State Disaster Management Committee are now on full alert ahead of the Northeast Monsoon (MTL), expected to begin in November, with the initial deployment of assets, equipment, and logistical facilities in flood-prone areas.

The National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) Mitigation Division director, Ahmad Shahrir Md Nazri, said the preparedness measures were implemented following the Malaysian Meteorological Department’s (MetMalaysia) early forecast, which predicts continuous rainfall and possible major flooding between November and December.

“Based on past flood experiences, NADMA has streamlined coordination efforts through the State Disaster Management Committee.

“All relevant agencies are now on the ground, including the deployment of mobile pumps in hotspot areas and the allocation of special funds for additional assets,” he told reporters after officiating the 2025 National Climate Forum and Disaster Preparedness: ‘Early Warning, Joint Action’ here today.

He said NADMA, through the National Disaster Command Centre (NDCC), has instructed all states to hold early coordination meetings and review logistical needs and resource requirements under their respective jurisdictions.

“All equipment and facilities have been prepared, and if necessary, temporary evacuation centres (PPS) will be activated immediately. The locations of PPS have also been identified in advance,” he said.

Ahmad Shahrir said one of the key measures emphasised this year is the enhancement of the aid distribution mechanism and logistics coordination to prevent delays similar to those experienced during the major floods in 2021.

“We are aware that every time a disaster occurs, logistical issues such as equipment being located far from affected areas often arise. Therefore, this time, the placement of assets has been planned closer to the ground and made more accessible to the implementing agencies,” he said.

According to him, the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) currently has more than 200 mobile pumps and will receive an additional 41 new units to strengthen operations in areas at risk of water stagnation.

“These mobile pumps will be deployed according to current needs and will not be permanently installed at any single location. This is crucial to expedite the process of water reflow once the rain subsides,” he said.

Commenting further, he urged all parties, including the media, to disseminate accurate and verified information and to avoid creating confusion during the flood season.

“We hope that the official communication channels of NADMA and the NDCC are fully utilised to ensure disaster-related information is conveyed accurately to the public,” he said.

In addition, Ahmad Shahrir announced that a total of 1,912 flood hotspots have been identified nationwide, with PPS locations also prepared to handle potential disasters.

He said the hotspots include Sabah with 318 locations, Sarawak (236), Kedah (221), Pahang (172), Kelantan (26) and Terengganu (17).

“These hotspots were identified as most of the affected areas in these states consist of low-lying land and steep terrain,” he said.

-- BERNAMA