NATIONAL DISASTER COUNCIL TO BE FORMED
Nadma to prepare cabinet paper for circulation to all ministries for feedback, says DPM
ANATIONAL Disaster Management Council will be established as the country’s highest governing body to coordinate disaster management and risk reduction efforts.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said he had instructed the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) to prepare a cabinet paper, which would be circulated to all ministries for feedback before being tabled at the cabinet.
Zahid, who is also chairman of the National Disaster Management Committee, said Nadma would distribute the paper within a month.
“I will personally present it to the cabinet.
“We intend to elevate the Central Disaster Management Committee into a National Disaster Management Council. Our aim is to significantly enhance the country’s disaster management framework,” he said during his 2026 New Year address to Nadma staff at the Smart headquarters here yesterday.
Also present was Nadma director-general Meor Ismail Meor Akim.
Zahid said the existing disaster management mechanism, which operates through the Central Disaster Management Committee, needed to be strengthened to reflect current realities.
“At present, the committee does not directly involve menteri besar and chief ministers, even though state governments hold critical authority over development planning, land use and water resource management.
“There is also a need for full involvement of federal ministers who possess the mandate and capacity to coordinate across ministries and agencies,” he said.
“Disasters today are no longer isolated or seasonal. They are increasingly driven by climate change, rapid development and urbanisation, population density, as well as global uncertainties.
“Disasters now extend beyond environmental issues. They encompass public health, humanitarian crises, as well as disruptions to technology and critical infrastructure. That is why the old approach is no longer sufficient,” he said.
Zahid said the National Disaster Risk Reduction Policy 2030, which is being formulated, represented a long-term national commitment to strengthen public awareness and preparedness.
Zahid also said Malaysia would increasingly rely on science, data analytics and technology to anticipate disasters.
“Anticipatory action must become standard practice. We must act before disasters occur, not only after damage has been done.”