Kota Kinabalu: Safety and disaster preparedness education should begin at a young age so children develop greater awareness of their own and their families’ safety, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak) Datuk Mustapha Sakmud.
He said early exposure could help build a generation that not only understood disasters but also knew what action to take during emergencies.
“Disasters can occur at any time and in various forms. Therefore, the community needs basic knowledge of safety, first aid, risk management and the actions to take before, during and after a disaster,” he said when closing the Kampung Siaga 221 programme at Kampung Kokol, Manggatal, on Saturday.
Mustapha commended the Malaysian Civil Defence Force’s Community Based Disaster Risk Management approach, saying direct community involvement in identifying risks and strengthening preparedness was important as local residents were often among the first able to provide assistance before rescue agencies arrived.
Meanwhile, Sabah Civil Defence Director Mohd Yusoff Samad said Kampung Kokol was selected following an initial assessment of areas potentially at risk of disasters, adding that the programme was the third held this year and would continue annually.
