Rise in drowning cases worrying

Akmal Nasrullah fits on a life jacket during a safety demo with Nor Hisham (right) and Lee (centre in suit ) looking on. — ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star

THERE were 1,340 deaths due to drowning from 2018 to 2022 in Malaysia, and this is a matter of great concern, says Deputy Local Government Development Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir.

With an average of 268 deaths per year, he said the matter was serious, adding that programmes to raise public awareness about preventing drowning cases must continue.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), as many as 40 people lose their lives through drowning every hour globally, he said.

“Whether it is small children slipping unnoticed in a pond, pool or well, or adolescents swimming under the influence of alcohol or drugs, passengers of capsized vessels or residents living along coasts struck by floods, the daily toll of such natural events continues to rise,” said Akmal Nasrullah.

“WHO stated that drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional injury deaths worldwide, accounting for 7% of all injury-related deaths. There are an estimated 236,000 drowning deaths a year globally,” he added.

Akmal Nasrullah said it was vital to develop and implement effective drowning prevention programmes and policies.

He said various initiatives have been taken, including the approval of the Water Activity Safety Council (WASC), set up in 2016. The council is chaired by the Local Government Development Minister.

Akmal Nasrullah said members of the council comprised those from government agencies, non-governmental organisations, academics and the private sector.

“Among the aims of WASC is to enhance awareness, rescue and efforts to prevent drowning incidents at home and at work.

“It also encourages civilians to cultivate a safety culture in water activities such as sport and recreation and to coordinate the collection of drowning incident data in Malaysia,” he said in his address at the South-East Asian Nations Drowning Prevention Capacity Building Workshop Conference at The Ship Campus in Batu Kawan, Penang.

The three-day event was organised by WASC, the Royal Life Saving Society of Australia, the Australia Asean Council and the Life Saving Society of Malaysia (LSSM).

Some 250 people from 13 countries participated in the event.

Present during the event were Australian High Commissioner Dr Justin Lee, WHO representative Dr David Meddling, LSSM president Geh Thuan Tek, Fire and Rescue Department deputy director-general for development Datuk Nor Hisham Mohammad and state director Saadon Mokhtar.