Experts team up to help country face natural disasters

CYBERJAYA: A group of experts from various disciplines in science and technology have joined forces to help the country face natural disasters in future in terms of science and technology.

Science Advisor to the Prime Minister Tan Sri Prof Zakri Abdul Hamid said 30 such experts have been selected to be members of the “Task Force on Science and Technology Response Towards Big Floods and Other Natural Disasters” which was set up to assist the National Security Council (NSC) on managing natural disasters.

“These experts are now actively collecting information and sharing their expertise, “Zakri, who is also Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT) co-chairman, told Bernama here yesterday.

Zakri said experts on specific genre were needed to build more relevant infrastructure and make accurate predictions to minimise the impact of disasters.

“Our country’s experts from universities and the relavant industries can be enlisted in helping us make preparations before, during and after a disaster, “he said.

Giving last year’s major floods in Kelantan as an example, he said the disaster led to the losses of about RM3 billion because there were no mitigation plans in facing such disasters.

“Don’t think that because massive floods like in Sabah will only occur once in 30 to 50 years there isn’t a need to create a National Preparedness Plan,” he said.

Zakri said the establishment of the task force was due to the string of disasters that hit Malaysia and this gave the impetus for the country to have a better plan to face natural disasters.

He said the findings of the task force would be submitted to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in a few months. Bernama