Floods: Firemen's leave may be rationed

JOHOR BAHRU - The Fire and Rescue Department may ration leaves for its personnel nationwide to ensure preparedness to brace flood situation, is at optimal level.

Its director-general Datuk Seri Mohammad Hamdan Wahid said that the leave rations were specifically for personnel assigned to operational tasks involving 333 fire stations nationwide.

However, according to Mohammad Hamdan, the flood situation is currently under control throughout the country.

"This leave ration is specifically for personnel in operational duties across the country, but we are also assisted by our newly established teams, such as the rapid deployment team (Red) in 11 specific areas in Peninsular (Malaysia).

"This includes helping stations that may not have enough in terms of members and assets. If these people need more help, the state will not help...and if there are not enough members working in the office, we will deploy officers accordingly.

For those who are off (on leave), we will also include (them), other than that, in terms of shifts, we will change shifts from 12 hours to 24 hours so that there are more (members).

"We will also continue to monitor both on the ground and in the air using helicopters and drones to send reports to the headquarters in Putrajaya from time to time.

"However, the current situation is not so harmful or extreme, it is still under control, but if there is a flood situation in the area, we will freeze holidays in the area/state," he said at the department's Majlis Penganugerahan Pingat Perkhidmatan at JBPM Johor today.

The department also collaborated with other government agencies, such as the Malaysian Meteorological Department, to obtain weather information and Irrigation and Drainage Department (JPS) to check on river water levels.

As of Tuesday morning, five states, namely Pahang, Terengganu, Kelantan, Perak and Johor, were still affected by floods.

It was reported that 2,763 victims from 834 families were placed in 22 temporary flood relief centres (PPS) in all the states concerned.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Hamdan also always reminded residents in areas affected by floods to be vigilant and make preparations such as moving to a safer place.

He said residents could ask for help from authorities such as the fire department.

"We are telling the community, the people in the hotspot area, to always be vigilant... take action early, move to a safer place, move to PPS, and keep or carry important documents when moving.

"Besides that, in a flood situation there are some dangerous things such as electric shock, so I hope that the public will always be alert," he said.