PUCHONG: A total of 101,901 officers and personnel from various rescue agencies have been placed on standby, with more than 40,000 assets ready for deployment during the Northeast Monsoon (MTL), which is expected to last until March next year.
National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) Operations Coordination Section principal assistant director Major Wazirudin Mahfot@Mahbott said the personnel comprise 47,100 members of the People's Volunteer Corps (RELA), 21,477 police personnel, 15,145 firefighters, 12,927 civil defence personnel and 5,252 armed forces personnel.
"Our preparations involve coordination among various agencies to ensure efficient rescue operations, evacuations and disaster management in the event of floods or other disasters,” he said at a media engagement session on the government's preparedness for the 2026/2027 MTL here Friday (Oct 30).
Wazirudin said the assets on standby include 2,024 four-wheel-drive vehicles, 1,177 other vehicles, 174 ambulances, 2,425 boats, 28 aircraft, 27 drones and 35,301 life jackets.
He said technical agencies, including the Public Works Department and the Irrigation and Drainage Department, have also made available support assets comprising 17 units of heavy machinery, 575 mobile pumps and 30 generator sets.
Wazirudin said Irrigation and Drainage Department had identified 3,045 flood hotspots nationwide, with Kelantan recording the highest number at 609, followed by Pahang (572), Terengganu (460) and Sabah (348).
He added that data from the Department of Mineral and Geoscience showed that 31 landslide hotspots had been identified nationwide, including at Gunung Jerai in Kedah, Tanjung Bungah in Penang, Kundasang in Sabah and Cameron Highlands in Pahang.
Wazirudin also said the government had designated 8,321 temporary relief centres nationwide, with a combined capacity of about 1.9 million people, as well as two permanent relief centres in Johor and Pahang that could accommodate a total of 1,600 people.
On food supplies, he said 60,000 food kits and 170,000 retort food packs had been allocated, of which 29,900 food kits and 94,510 retort food packs had been distributed to all states.
"The remaining 30,100 food kits and 75,490 retort food packs will be distributed according to the needs of each state,” he said. - Bernama
