Kpg Tebakang Bidayuh hosts disaster simulation to strengthen flood preparedness

SERIAN (Oct 17): A total of 150 participants from various agencies along with Kampung Tebakang Bidayuh residents participated in the Serian Division Disaster Simulation and Practice held in the village today.

The simulation saw personnel from the Civil Defence Force (APM), Fire and Rescue Department, and the local police gathering as early as 6.30am at the village’s jetty.

APM personnel were also seen carrying their boat towards the simulation site.

The villagers began arriving at around 7am, ready to take part in the simulation.

After a short briefing, the participants were brought to the evacuation centre near the village church, where the simulation took place.

Bukit Semuja assemblyman John Ilus told reporters that this initiative was to ensure the agencies involved in planning, implementing, and managing flood evacuations are well-prepared.

“With this training, I believe those involved today will be ready and well-prepared in facing flood situations in this area.

“As we all know, we have 50 flood-prone areas in the Serian division and one of them is in this village.

“As such, there are a total of 50 evacuation centres (PPS) which can house 10,000 evacuees throughout the division, and this right here is the evacuation centre in this village that had just been approved,” he said, adding that of the total 50 PPS, 25 are in the Serian district, Siburan district (19), Balai Ringin (5) and Tebedu (1).

John also assured that the Divisional Disaster Management Committee had prepared plans for evacuating villagers in the event of a flood to ensure their safety.

He thus called on the villagers to give their fullest cooperation to the agencies involved in order to ensure evacuation to their respective PPS runs smoothly.

“The village chiefs and community leaders should also have constant communication with the agencies involved to ensure information is delivered promptly,” he added.