KOTA BARU, Nov 15 — The Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) urges any party or individual intending to provide flood relief aid using boats during the north-east monsoon period to report their presence to both JBPM and the police before initiating assistance operations.

JBPM director-general Datuk Seri Abdul Wahab Mat Yasin stressed that this step is crucial to ensure the optimal utilisation of assets during disaster periods at the incident locations.

"Control centres will be set up at District Police Headquarters (IPD) during disaster periods. However, if they cannot report to the IPD, a control centre will also be opened at the incident site, allowing them to register there,” he said after attending the JBPM Innovation Week 2023 programme here today.

Also present were JBPM deputy director-general (Operations), Datuk Nor Hisham Mohammad and Kelantan JBPM director, Zainal Madasain.

Commenting further, Abdul Wahab said JBPM greatly appreciated the help extended by various parties in helping his department and other rescue agencies during flood disasters.

He said rescue agencies really need help from the local community who are more skilled with the ins and outs of an area during the process of rescuing flood victims.

"But the important thing is that boats that want to help flood victims need to have life jackets. Even if they are skilled in the ins and outs of an area, their’s and victims safety remains a priority

"We really need their skills to make it easier and faster when evacuating and giving assistance to victims,” he said.

Nor Hisham added that JBPM has instructed fire stations to ensure that voluntary boats engaged in flood relief efforts have proper life jackets.

"JBPM has informed all stations that if NGOs want to help using boats, they must be equipped with life jackets. We have also advised them to involve at least one rescue agency member in the boat,” he said. — Bernama