Civil Defence Force from tomorrow, targets 2 mil
Published on: Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Tawau: Civil Defence Department Director-General Datuk Ogu Salim Omar on Tuesday said the government has allocated RM100 million to beef up the assets of the department. He said the department would be able to execute its duties more effectively with the inclusion of additional assets. Ogu said this during the Civil Defence Department rank installation and handover of national awards ceremony here. ADVERTISEMENT Also present at the event were Sebatik Assemblyman Datuk Abdul Muis Picho and Sabah Civil Defence Department Director Colonel Mulliadi Al-Hamdi Ladin. The Civil Defence Department, which will be known as Civil Defence Force from Sept 1, is expected to increase the number of volunteers to two million members as intended by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Dr Shahidan Kassim. "We hope to reach this number by middle of next year. With two million members the work carried out by the force will be more effective," he said. According to Ogu, the department will also form its own Community Emergency Response Teams across the country by middle of September. ADVERTISEMENT "The teams will involve villagers, grassroots leaders and residents in housing estates.
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"Leaders will select their own platoons and provide basic training to act as an early response rescue team in times of crisis or natural disaster in their own areas," he said. Ogu said at present there are already 850 community Emergency Response in high risk community areas like Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang. "We will start the establishing similar teams in other states and I have also asked state directors to initiate the formation of the teams," he said. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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Earlier Ogu handed the awards to 50 officers who had been on duty during Ops Daulat in Tanduo in Lahad Datu. He also installed the ranks of 83 officers and 13 others received certificates of appreciation.