Right move for M’sia to enhance handling of disaster risks
Our experience with the tsunami in 2004 and the frequent occurrence of landslides, hill slope collapse and sinkholes, necessitate us to take all the appropriate measures to reduce such risks.
SIBU: The initiatives by Malaysia in reducing the risk of disasters risks in the country are a step towards the right direction, says National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health ( Niosh) chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.
He points out that although not immediately and directly affected by earthquakes and typhoons, Malaysia has its fair share of natural disasters that occur on a smaller scale.
“Our experience with the tsunami in 2004 and the frequent occurrence of landslides, hill slope collapse and sinkholes, necessitate us to take all the appropriate measures to reduce such risks.
“As such, it is to our interest to enrich or enhance our efforts in minimising these disaster risks,” he said in a statement here yesterday.
Lee noted that global climate changes and tectonic plate movements have also exposed Malaysia to new natural disasters such as the fatal earthquake that hit Mount Kinabalu in 2015.
According to him, aftershocks are being regularly in Ranau.
He said to work towards risk reduction, it would be vital to have various relevant authorities conduct regular safety audits on hill slopes, rivers, seafronts and other high-risk areas – particularly those near human settlements and tourist attractions.
“Equally important is for us to intensify checks, through the
Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health chairman
mild felt use of modern technology, on our natural environment to assess any potential risk that can cause disasters.
“Needless to say, we must also have strong maintenance culture on our infrastructural development in the country. We also need to upgrade all our earlywarning systems from time to time,” he said.
Moreover, Lee pointed out the need for Malaysians to be actively involved in safety drills, like what is being done in Japan and South Korea, so that the people would be prepared to face such eventuality.
“Our Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team ( SMART), Fire and Rescue Department and other relevant agencies involved in rescue operations should seize every opportunity to participate in disaster- rescue training programmes and real operations abroad so that they can learn and acquire new skills and experiences.”
In this respect, Lee cited the just- concluded multi-national operation in Thailand, involving the rescue of 12 boys and their football coach who were trapped in a flooded cave, as an example.
“If we had participated in that rescue mission, we would have gained immeasurable knowledge to benefit our own rescue missions in the future.”
In this connection, Lee commended Fire and Rescue Department director- general Mohammad Hamdan Wahid for voicing out his intention to have his men to hone their skills in conducting rescue operations in caves, given that there are many caves in Perak, which are also tourist attractions.
“Malaysia should further enhance the cooperation and strengthen its networking with other countries as part of its efforts to reduce the occurrences of disasters, find ways to minimise the impact and mount effective search and rescue operations,” he said.