HOME MINISTRY ORDERS AGENCIES TO PREPARE FOR SECOND FLOOD

ALOR SETAR (Malaysia), Nov 10 (Bernama) -- All agencies under the Home Ministry, particularly the police, Rela ( Volunteers of Malaysian People) and Civil Defence Department, have been ordered to make preparations to face the possibility of a second wave of floods between now and next month.


Minister Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said at the moment there were
1,000 policemen, 400 civil defence personnel and 193 Rela volunteers involved in
the flood relief operations in Kedah, a northern state in Peninsular Malaysia.

"We are prepared to face any eventualities," he told reporters after
visiting the Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Alor Janggus (secondary school) and
Sekolah Kebangsaan Abduazllah Sadun (primary school) flood relief centres here.

He said Rela and civil defence personnel had also been told to help in the
clean up of schools affected by the flood.

Earlier, Hishammuddin launched the disaster relief fund by Malaysian Muslim
Restaurant Operators Association (Presma) and handed over foodstuff and mineral
water worth RM200,000 from the association to the flood victims.

Meanwhile, the Youth and Sports Ministry deployed 700 volunteers to help
the flood victims in Kedah and Perlis, another northern state in Peninsular
Malaysia.

Its deputy minister Razali Ibrahim said the volunteers, coming from
all over the country, had previously undergone disaster relief training.

"This is the first time that we are engaging them to provide assistance in
the flood-hit areas," he told reporters after handing over a boat donated by the
ministry to the Padang Terap youth district council.

He said that the ministry's flood relief assets would remain in the
flood-hit areas to face the possibility of a second wave of floods.

-- BERNAMA