by DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Jan 7: The Sarawak Government is ramping up preparedness across all agencies and disaster management committees at divisional and district levels in anticipation of a possible second wave of floods, following forecasts of heavy rainfall over the next one to two months.
According to a Sarawak Public Communication Unit (UKAS) report, Sarawak Deputy Premier and Chairman of the Sarawak State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC), Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, said recent flooding earlier this week had provided valuable lessons, particularly in the management of Temporary Evacuation Centres (PPS).
He said, among the measures for improvement that have been identified include the preparation of a more structured task list during the victim evacuation process, the provision of food supplies and basic necessities, health checks by the medical department and dengue prevention work through spraying by the local authorities.
During the recent floods, he noted a total of 10 PPS were opened in Kuching, with overall management of the centres deemed satisfactory.
“So far, we are very satisfied with the management of PPS in Kuching during the recent floods,” he said after chairing the SDMC meeting at Wisma Bapa Malaysia on Tuesday.
Uggah added that all equipment and facilities at PPS must be properly maintained and fully functional to ensure the comfort and well-being of evacuees.
“Our goal is to ensure that the PPS is comfortable. The victims are already in a difficult situation, so we do not want management incompetence to add to their difficulties,” he said.
He also urged residents in flood-prone areas to remain vigilant and to comply fully with evacuation orders issued by the authorities.
“When instructed to evacuate, they must evacuate because our main goal is to ensure their safety,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) has assured that it will continue monitor areas that have been evacuated to ensure the safety of residents’ properties. – DayakDaily
