MELAKA: More efforts are needed to increase the number of Civil Defence Force's (APM) associate corporate officers, especially among young professionals, says Associate Kol (PA) Mike Thien.
The chairman of the Melaka Civil Defence Force's Associate Corporate Officers said the target is to recruit more professionals from all races to join the noble task and to serve the community.
"Our volunteers can engage in humanitarian, and charitable tasks as well as actively participate in disaster response activities.
"We have experienced personnel under the stewardship of Melaka APM director Lt Kol (PA) Kamarulsyah Muslim to provide the necessary training and support to our volunteers," he said on Saturday (March 2).
The associate officers come from various backgrounds, comprising corporate members, engineers, technical experts, artists and community leaders with their respective skills and abilities.
Thien said the World Civil Defence Day 2024 was celebrated on Friday (March 1) but was a low-key affair as not much publicity was given to honour APM personnel and volunteers.
He added that World Civil Defence Day is celebrated with an aim to increase awareness about the importance of civil protection and emergency preparedness.
"However, the celebration is not highlighted enough despite the crucial role played by the civil defence in reducing the impact of disasters and ensuring the safety and well-being of individuals during crises.
"Hopefully, we can celebrate World Civil Defence Day on a bigger scale in 2025 with higher recruitment of professionals to organise related activities," he added.
Thein said the celebration is also in line with the International Civil Defence Organisation to commemorate the day across the world, emphasising the role of civil defence forces.
He said this year’s theme "Innovative Technologies at the Service of Civil Defence" emphasises the significance of emerging technologies and ensuring sustainable development of its personnel and volunteers.
Thein said World Civil Defence Day is also aimed at intensifying preventive awareness in communities and to enhance emergency response skills among individuals.
