Kota Kinabalu: The State Government via the Sabah Disaster Management Committee is ramping up preparations for the impending onset of the Northeast Monsoon season.
State Secretary Datuk Seri Safar Untong, after chairing a meeting on preparations for the Northeast Monsoon, said:
“We are geared up for the Northeast Monsoon, which is likely to be from November to the end of March next year.”
He said a total of 8,432 officers from various agencies, including 928 land transportation, 206 water transportation and eight air logistics are prepared for deployment.
“We have identified 608 flood disaster hotspots throughout Sabah,” he said, adding they had set up 75 helicopter landings to make it easier to evacuate residents and deliver help to victims in difficult-to-reach areas,” he told a press conference.
He said the State Government has also instructed all district officers as the District Disaster Management Committee chairmen in their respective districts to be ready to activate their disaster operation centres at any time.
“The State Government is continuously monitoring such concerns and has taken appropriate steps with departments and agencies concerned to ensure the disaster committee management machinery can work efficiently at all levels,” he said.
Also present were the Chief Minister’s Department Internal Affairs and Research Office Secretary Datuk Ag Shahminan Ag Sahari, Sabah Civil Defence Director Mohtar Samat and Nadma Deputy Director (Operations Coordination) Rusli Ibrahim, among others.
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