Prepared for emergencies
EFFORTS to implement various initiatives to reduce disaster risk in the country are a step in the right direction because we can no longer claim that we are free from all natural disasters.
Our experience with the tsunami in 2004 and the frequent occurrence of landslides, hill slope collapse/failure and sinkholes necessitate taking all appropriate measures to reduce the risk of disasters.
Although we do not have earthquakes or typhoons, we do have our fair share of natural disasters albeit on a smaller scale. As such, it is in our interest to enrich or enhance our efforts at minimising our disaster risk.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, in her statement at the Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia recently, pointed out that a scientific and technical panel has been put in place in Malaysia to work out scientific guidelines on disaster risk reduction.
She also said that Malaysia is ready to implement all the resolutions agreed under the Ulaanbaatar Declaration as well as the 20182020 Action Plan formulated during the AMCDRR, which could help Malaysia prevent disasters in the future and effectively tackle new challenges brought about by climate change.
We must always focus our attention on managing safety and health issues as well as to minimise or reduce disaster risk in the interest of public safety and people’s wellbeing.
Global climate change and tectonic plate movements have also exposed Malaysia to new natural disasters such as the fatal earthquake on Mount Kinabalu in 2015. Mild tremors are now being felt regularly in Ranau.
To work towards risk reduction, it is essential for more frequent safety audits to be done by the various authorities of our hill slopes, rivers, seafront and other risky areas especially those near human settlements and tourist attractions.
Equally important is for us to intensify checks on our natural environment to assess any potential risk that can cause disaster through the use of modern technology.
Needless to say, we must also have a strong maintenance culture on our infrastructure development.
We also need to improve and upgrade all our early warning systems in respect of tsunami or any other natural disasters from time to time.
There is also a need for Malaysians to be actively involved in safety drills like what is being done in Japan and South Korea so that the people will be able to better cope with any disaster when it happens.
Our Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART), the Fire and Rescue Services Department personnel 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 experiences and skills.
Take as an example the just concluded massive multinational rescue operation in Tham Luang, Chiang Rai, Thailand which successfully rescued 12 boys and their football coach trapped in a flooded cave. It was indeed an astonishing rescue mission that captivated the whole world.
If we had participated in that rescue mission, we would have gained valuable knowledge to benefit our rescue missions in the future.
In this connection, I wish to compliment our Fire and Rescue Services Department director- general Mohammad Hamdan Wahid who expressed the wish for his department personnel to hone their training skills in conducting rescue operations in caves since there are many such caves in Perak that attract tourists.
Malaysia should further enhance cooperation and strengthen networks with other countries as part of its efforts to reduce the occurrence of disasters, minimising the impact and mounting an effective search and rescue operation.
TAN SRI LEE LAM THYE Chairman National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health