Bomba identifies 5,648 flood-prone sites nationwide; most in Sarawak, Sabah and Pahang

PASIR GUDANG, Nov 14 — The Fire and Rescue Department has identified a total of 5,648 areas that are prone to flooding nationwide during the year-end monsoon season.

Sarawak has the most, Fire and Rescue Department director-general Datuk Seri Abdul Wahab Mat Yasin said today with 1,066 areas, followed by 798 areas in Sabah, and 750 in Pahang.

He added that Johor (745) and Kelantan (617) make up the top five states with the most flood-prone areas.

He said the department has also identified 186 waterfall areas where waterspouts are likeliest to appear.

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He said 254 hill slopes have been identified as critical.

Abdul Wahab said in order to deal with potential emergencies and disasters during the north-east monsoon season which starts this month until March next year, the department has frozen the leaves of 80 per cent of officers and personnel involving 13,435 operational staff across the country.

He said the remaining 20 per cent of its manpower were allowed to take leave, subject to the situation.

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“We do not freeze leave for the entire country, but let’s say if Johor reports an earlier flood alert, all leave will be frozen according to the districts involved.

“If the district needs assistance from the neighbouring district, leave for personnel in the neighbouring district will also be frozen,” he told reporters after the Fire and Rescue Department‘s 2022 Outstanding Service Awards at the Tanjung Puteri Golf Resort here.

“If there is a major national flood like that in 2014, the entire department’s operational staff nationwide will be recalled to assist in the floods,” he added.

Abdul Wahab said the Ayer Hitam Fire and Rescue Station in Batu Pahat will be used as the southern zone’s base in mobilising operations for the monsoon season.

He said all of the department’s logistic assets are placed in the particular station as part of its strategy to provide assistance in the three nearby states.

Abdul Wahab said that the Eastern Region’s Fire and Rescue Academy in Wakaf Tapai, Terengganu will be the selected location to mobilise the same operations for the East Coast states of Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang.

He said both the Ayer Hitam Fire and Rescue Station and the academy were used as a logistics centre to ensure that aid could arrive in a timely manner after taking into account the various previous issues in the past such as closed off routes due to the floods.

Johor Fire and Rescue Department director Senior Assistant Fire Commissioner Siti Rohani Nadir was also present at the ceremony.