A file picture of Penang CDF officers — CHAN BOON KAI/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 427 Civil Defence Force (CDF) personnel have been put on alert to deal with any incident arising from westerly winds that have been forecast to hit states in north Peninsular Malaysia, which may potentially result in thunderstorms, heavy rain and strong winds.
CDF chief commissioner Aminurrahim Mohamed said that the weather has been forecasted to last till Wednesday and personnel would be mobilised daily to monitor hotspots and areas that might be hit by landslides, rising waters and other incidents.
"I plan to ask them to consider trees falling due to strong winds. If such a thing occurs, we will inform the authorities to take action," he told Bernama.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) issued a statement at 9am on Saturday (July 1) warning of potential thunderstorms, heavy rain and strong winds due to strong westerly winds
Meanwhile, Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department director-general Datuk Abdul Wahab Mat Yasin told Bernama that his department was at round-the-clock readiness, and was currently conducting frequent patrols in disaster-prone areas.
"The department's Safety Water and Rescue Team (Swart) are patrolling the East Coast and will remind the public not to visit coastal areas or conduct activities there, while fishermen are advised not to go out to sea," he said.
Checks by Bernama indicated that public awareness was high about the weather warning and many have prepared in their own ways.
In KEDAH, Kampung Alor Serdang resident Mazlan Abu Bakar, 61, decided to call off his fishing trip in Kuala Sala, near Kuala Kedah.
"I check the MetMalaysia website every day... it seems that strong winds and heavy rain will continue for several days, so we've decided to cancel our trip that we planned more than a week ago," he told Bernama.
In KELANTAN, residents in Pasir Puteh district, including Kampung Bukit Abal villager, Azman Ismail, 36, were spotted trimming trees near their homes to prepare for bad weather well over a week in advance.
In TERENGGANU, fisherman Nik Mohd Hasni Chik, 54, from Kampung Pangkalan Maras, said residents in coastal areas had to be always aware of weather developments on the MetMalaysia website.
"Even though the monsoon season has passed, we fishermen must always heed weather warnings. We will go out to sea in the morning and return by noon – there're no problems because the warning is for the afternoon," he said.
In PENANG, Kampung Kijang resident R. Emily, 64, said she knew of the weather changes and would prepare for any possibility as she lived in a flood-prone area.
"Now I know about this issue and I will prepare as needed. First of all, I will store my important documents in a safe place," she added.
