KUCHING: Any holiday plans have to be put on hold.
This is the situation Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department personnel are facing as their leave has been frozen in preparation for floods.
Bomba Sarawak acting director Tiong Ling Hii said leave has been frozen for personnel at all 38 stations across the state.
“We launched the flood preparedness campaign last October, and as instructed by the Minister of Housing and Local Government Nga Kor Ming, personnel on leave have been recalled.
“Although the situation in Sarawak is not critical yet, we must adhere to the directive.
“In terms of logistics, we have been making preparations since last September, including repairs and other measures,” he said.
He added that patrols will be conducted by each station if it rains continuously for more than an hour in any area.
“This is part of our early action plan so that we can carry out preliminary monitoring and assist affected victims in relocating to safer locations,” he said.
He said this during a press conference after attended the 2024 Fire Safety Organisation Seminar for Designated Premises, officiated by Deputy Minister of Public Health, Housing and Local Government Datuk Michael Tiang Ming Tee at the Imperial Hotel here on Monday.
Tiong said the hotspots for flood situations are unpredictable, noting that Kapit is among the district marked as the hotspot.
“We are aware that yesterday (Dec 1) and today (Dec 2) mark the king tide.
“Although this is normal, we consistently conduct patrols to ensure that areas affected by the king tide are not severely impacted.
“For now, based on weather forecasts, it is expected to rain across the state every afternoon,” he added.
Meanwhile, deputy director-general (Operations) Bomba Malaysia Datuk Ahmad Izram Osman said as of 6 am on Dec 2, a total of nine states in Malaysia have been affected by floods.
“And the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) has opened 633 temporary evacuation centers (PPS), involving 137,410 flood victims.
“Currently, the most severely affected states are Kelantan and Kedah.
“We anticipate that the Northeast Monsoon will last from October until March 2025, so we are always ready in terms of logistics, personnel, and planning,” he said.
