Flood relief centres to be opened earlier - Shahidan

Flood relief centres will be opened earlier if certain areas are expected to be affected by floods, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim.

He said it was among the measures to be implemented by the National Disaster Management Agency this year after taking a lesson from the flood disasters that hit the country last year.

"The relief centres will be opened earlier, we will not wait for floods first then open them.

"What is important is that lives and properties are saved," he told reporters after officiating the Sukarelawan Bencana Alam (SUKBA) at Dataran Berombak Tasek Permai in Rantau Panjang here on Friday.

Also present were Rantau Panjang UMNO division chief Datuk Abdullah Mat Yassin, Civil Defence Department director-general (JPAM) Datuk Zaiton Abdul Samad and Kelantan Fire and Rescue Department director Azmi Osman.

SUKBA is a non governmental organisation that is established with a membership of about 1,000 volunteers from Rantau Panjang and will be mobilised in the face of floods in the area.

In a related development, Shahidan said he would propose to the cabinet that preparation at the community level should also be held.

He said the community level included parks and villages and these places should have their own assets and forward bases.

"Floods if managed at the community level is better because they need not have to telephone the district as the community can manage while waiting for assistance from the district," he said.