JERTIH: Ten villages in nine states have been chosen by the Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM) to implement its Kampung Siaga 221 which will see the public trained to provide early response during disasters.
APM policy planning and coordination division director Mohd Yusoff Samad said Kampung Siaga 221 had been set up in Sarawak, Perak, Pahang, Sabah, Negri Sembilan, Perlis, Penang and Selangor.
He said there were two Kampung Siaga 221 in Terengganu – Kampung Pasir Raja in Dungun, where the project was first launched in November last year, and Kampung Belaoh.
“For the rest of the states, Kampung Siaga 221 will be set up before the end of this year,” he was quoted by Bernama as saying after the launching ceremony of Kampung Siaga 221: Disaster Resilient Communities in Kampung Belaoh, Hulu Besut, here on Saturday.
The programme was set up to train people to prepare for any type of disaster, especially floods, enabling communities to act quickly to, among others, rescue victims.
Mohd Yusoff said residents in the relevant areas would be trained to provide an early response to disasters while waiting for security agencies.
“The number of Kampung Siaga 221 in each state depends on the risk assessment for the frequency of disasters (floods) in each district in the state.
“For example, in Terengganu, we will identify other districts that are disaster-prone such as Dungun or Kemaman to be the next Kampung Siaga 221,” he added.
