Flood: 8,653 police personnel from 6 contingents in relief operations

KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 8,653 police officers and men from six state contingents are involved in flood relief operations, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin.

In a statement yesterday, he said the six contingents are Selangor, Perak, Johor, Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu apart from the deployment of 1,329 police vehicles.

Hamzah said based on the directive No. 20 (Policy and Mechanism on National Disaster and Relief Management) of the National Security Council (MKN), the Home Ministry (KDN) through its departments and agencies had launched an integrated deployment of assets and personnel to assist victims affected by floods sweeping in the country now.

Apart from that, he said 1,662 members of the Malaysia Volunteers Corp (Rela) were mobilised to assist flood victims in the six affected states at temporary relief centres.

“Fifty-nine vehicles of Rela were also put into action involving 23 sports utility vehicles (SUV), seven four-wheeldrives, two lorries, eight MPVs , 10 sedans and five vans,” he said.

Hamzah said strategic assets such as the AW 139 aircraft and petrol boats of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) were also mobilised to assist in relief and rescue operations of flood victims.

He said the operations were conducted together with the National Disaster Management Agency ( Nadma) especially in states badly affected by floods such as Johor and Pahang.

“Apart from that, public assets such as buses, lorries and trucks belonging to the Immigration Department were also involved in flood operations nationwide.

“To facilitate flood victims who lost personal identification documents such as identity card, and birth certificate, the National Registration Department (JPN) has also assigned its mobile units to the interior,” he said.

He said with the help of mobile units, flood victims need not be present at JPN branches to apply for their lost documents.

In this regard, KDN wishes to remind the people to adhere to orders of the authorities carrying out relief and rescue operations for flood victims.

“Members of the public can obtain information on the latest flood situations by contacting the police Malaysia Control Centre ( MCC) at 0322663333 or 03-22663444,” he said. — Bernama