By Nur Ashikin Louis
KUCHING, Sept 27: The Sarawak Social Welfare Department (JKMS) is on standby to activate 627 temporary evacuation centres (PPS) throughout the State that have the capacity to accommodate 162,091 victims in the event of floods.
Sarawak Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Minister Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah said JKMS has also set up 25 disaster forward bases to store dry food aid for areas that are relatively far within the interior.
“In terms of assets, JKMS has 48 vehicles that can be used for disaster operations, 10,000 collapsible tents and 272 mobile partitions.
“A total of 1,971 JKM staff and volunteers have prepared to be mobilised in the event of a flood disaster in Sarawak.
“Meanwhile a total of 285 people consisting of counseling officers and the psychological support team will help disaster victims who are emotionally affected by floods,” she said when officiating at the Sarawak Disaster PPS Training and Simulation Programme 2022 held at Dewan Serbaguna Ranchan here today.
The preparation was in view of Malaysian Meteorological Department’s (MET Malaysia) report that the country will face the changing of monsoons from end September to early November with the Northeast Monsoon is expected to begin from November 2022 to March 2023.
Following this, Sarawak is expected to experience heavy monsoon rains from December this year to January next year.
To date, JKMS has one large-scale depo at Jalan Datuk Mohd Musa in Samarahan and three mini depo in Miri, Kuching and Samarahan, where all the necessary items and equipment are well kept and ready to be dispatched during flood operations.
Amongst those present were Bukit Semuja assemblyman John Ilus, Sarawak Social Welfare Department director Noriah Ahmad, Serian Resident Selamat Yati Yanjah and Serian District Officer Lim Hock Meng. — DayakDaily
