ALOR STAR: Residents in flood prone areas will be getting flood evacuation simulation training to prepare them for the northeast monsoon season from mid-November.
Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department director-general Datuk Seri Mohammad Hamdan Wahid said the move was part of proactive measures to enhance nationwide flood disaster preparation.
"In addition to issuing floods warnings, we are also organising flood evacuation simulation training for communities located in flood prone areas throughout the country.
"We hope through this training the communities concerned will have a better understanding on how to react and initiate the evacuation process in the event of floods disaster," he told reporters after opening a state-level northeast monsoon season preparation briefing session at Alor Star Fire and Rescue Station here today.
Present was state Fire and Rescue Department director Sayani Saidon.
Hamdan added that the training programme was part of the government's initiative to empower the community in preparing for the floods.
"We believe this initiative will further improve our preparation in facing the floods compared to previous years," he said.
It was reported earlier that the Malaysian Meteorological Department had forecast that the northeast monsoon in mid-November would bring continuous heavy rains that could lead to major floods.
Meanwhile, state Fire and Rescue Department operations assistant director Mohamadul Ehsan Mohd Zain said the department had identified 39 water column and 218 flood hotspot locations in 12 districts in Kedah.
"The locations for water column prone areas include recreation centres in Baling, Bukit Kayu Hitam, Guar Chempedak, Kulim, Kuala Nerang, Sungai Petani, Langkawi, Pendang, Bandar Baharu, Sik, Jitra and Yan," he said.
Ehsan added that Baling district has the most flood and water column hotspots.
"We have identified 52 locations as flood-prone areas and 11 locations prone to water column incidents in Baling district alone.
"The 11 locations detected in Baling include Lata Celak Iboi (Kupang), Teratak Simpul (Kampung Weng Dalam), Air Panas (Ulu Legong), Kuala Kedua and Lubuk Badak (Jalan Ulu Legong), Sungai Pam (Kampung Luar), Lata Baling, Lubuk Pedati, Lata Nering, Lata Bayu and Lata Bukit Hijau," he said.