Disaster management at all levels to be empowered: Shahidan

KUCHING: The management of disaster at all levels will be empowered through better methods and mechanisms, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim.
He said, in addition to the setting up of the Civil Defence Emergency Response Team (CDERT), the Community-Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) had also been established to provide information to the people on their residences, which would later be translated into strategies and disaster management plans.
Shahidan said it was similar to the setting up of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) in Sarawak as a team that would arrive at the disaster scene before the rescuers.
"The government has also taken a proactive step by focusing on the capacity building of three target groups, namely government agencies, community and non-governmental organisations and also private sector," he told reporters at the launching of National Preparedness Month 2017 by Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah at the Kuching Waterfront here today.
Shahidan said the efficient management of flood victims, for example, would enable the aid to reach the victims sooner as the assets and forward base were placed at the district level. — Bernama