KUCHING: A total of 679 temporary evacuation centres (PPS) have been identified across Sarawak in preparation for the Northeast Monsoon (MTL).
Minister of Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development, Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah, said preparations also included the establishment of forward bases to ensure food supplies could be delivered to residents who become cut off due to disasters.
She said the forward bases would serve as storage points for dry food supplies to be distributed to residents of longhouses and villages that are cut off from other areas but do not need to evacuate to PPS.
“For example, their homes may not be flooded, but access roads are cut off, leaving them unable to travel to other areas. In such situations, we will provide them with dry food supplies.
“Apart from PPS, forward bases are also among our key preparations to ensure assistance can be delivered promptly to those affected,” she said.
She was speaking to the media after witnessing the exchange of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between OCI Terrasus Sdn Bhd and SeDidik Sdn Bhd at the lobby of the Sarawak Ministry of Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development office at Baitul Makmur 2 Building here today.
Fatimah said the selection of PPS locations also took into account the suitability of the areas and the needs of residents, particularly to ensure assistance could be delivered promptly in the event of floods or landslides.
However, she said the establishment and selection of PPS locations required the approval of the Disaster Management Committee, as such decisions were made collectively and not solely by the Social Welfare Department (JKM).
She added that preparations also involved deploying personnel to man the PPS and operational offices to ensure smooth communication with the operations room and district-level Disaster Management Committees.
Logistical arrangements, including the provision of boats and vehicles for transportation and the distribution of supplies to affected residents, were also being prioritised.
She said all preparations for the Northeast Monsoon were being carried out through cooperation among various agencies under the State Disaster Management Committee, chaired by Sarawak Deputy Premier, Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.
She added that disaster relief operations required close coordination among agencies, including JKM, the Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia (JBPM), the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) and the Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM).
“When assistance needs to be delivered to victims, we do not work alone. We cooperate with the fire department and police, including in transporting food supplies and drinking water.
“Sometimes, we also use boats provided by the fire department or APM. All these efforts are coordinated through the Disaster Management Committees at divisional and district levels to ensure smooth operations and that each agency complements one another,” she said.
She said the state government’s priority was to ensure that every disaster victim received the necessary assistance promptly.
