TUMPAT: A total of 264 telecommunications towers affected by the Kelantan floods have been restored, said Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.
"I request that a study be carried out to determine the need to implement site hardening for these towers, especially in areas potentially affected by floods, and take some preventive measures before this October.
"As we know, October is the preparation season for the Northeast Monsoon (MTL), so all measures must be taken before the season arrives," he said.
He said this after inspecting the telecommunications tower belonging to ARC that was affected by the recent flood in Kampung Jubakar Pantai, here on Monday (Jan 20).
Fahmi also instructed the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to hold a workshop with all network service providers and Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) to identify telecommunication tower locations that have never been impacted by floods but could be at risk.
He added that replacing equipment and upgrading affected towers entails significant costs.
As such, he urged the ministry and MCMC to explore alternative solutions. – Bernama