KUCHING: The Sarawak government has enhanced the state of readiness of all agencies and disaster management committees at the divisional and district levels in anticipation of more serious flooding, following forecasts of heavy rainfall over the next one to two months.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said the experience of managing the recent floods earlier this week had provided valuable lessons, particularly in the operation and management of temporary evacuation centres (PPS).
He said a total of 10 PPS were opened in Kuching during the incident, and their overall management was satisfactory.
“So far, we are very satisfied with the management of the PPS in Kuching during the recent floods,” said after chairing chairing the Sarawak State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) meeting at Wisma Bapa Malaysia on Tuesday (Jan 6).
Uggah, who is also SDMC chairman, said several improvements had been identified, including the need for a more organised task list during evacuation operations, ensuring adequate food supplies and essential items, conducting health screenings by the medical department, and carrying out dengue prevention measures such as fogging by local authorities.
He added that all equipment and facilities at the PPS must be fully provided and maintained in good condition to ensure the comfort and well-being of evacuees.
“Our goal is to ensure that these PPS are comfortable. The victims are already in a difficult situation, so we do not want inefficient management to add to their hardship,” he said.
Uggah also advised residents in flood-prone areas to remain vigilant and to comply with evacuation instructions issued by the authorities.
“When instructed to evacuate, they must evacuate because our main priority is to ensure their safety,” he stressed.
He added that the police had assured the committee that it would monitor residential areas left vacant during evacuations to safeguard residents’ property.
