Dept targets 8,400 recruits this year

KUCHING: The Malaysian Civil Defence Department (JPAM) Sarawak is targeting 8,400 recruits this year.

State JPAM director Kol ( PA) Mat Zin Bujang said as of April 9, there were 4,416 new civil defence recruits.

“The increase in number in our personnel shows JPAM’s commitment in raising its efforts to uphold human capital development towards volunteerism,” he said, adding that the total number of personnel in JPAM Sarawak is 28,473.

He was speaking at the Sarawak Civil Defence Medal Presentation and Ranking Ceremony 2013, at which JPAM deputy director- general (operations) Selamat Dahalan representing JPAM Malaysia director general Dato Sulaiman Keling officiated.

Mat Zin also noted that the state JPAM also provided assistance to the public through its Malaysia Emergency Response Services ( MERS 999) and up till April this year, a total of 1,055 cases had been recorded comprising 523 victims.

Meanwhile, Sulaiman in his speech, read out by Selamat, said that JPAM currently has 1,280 permanent civil servants in which their functions, role and responsibilities are supported by around 641,295 Civil Defence Volunteer Personnel (ASPA) throughout the country.

In view of this, he pointed out that JPAM also trains 52 Civil Defence Emergency Response Team consisting of 2,173 personnel at factories and private companies.

In addition, the involvement of the younger generation is further strengthened through the registration of 756 Civil Defence Cadets at secondary school with members of 42,120.

He added that the registration involved 166 Civil Defence Training Institution Teams at training institutions, college and polytechnic with membership of around 11,147 trainees as well as the establishment of 36 ‘Kor Siswa Siswi Pertahanan Awam’ at public and private higher education institutions throughout the country with 4,897 cadet officers.

Selamat said JPAM was one of the agencies involved in Ops Daulat, where emergency assistance has been provided since day one of the intrusion.

“JPAM is the main agency in carrying out administration as well as coordinating and distributing food rations at all four evacuation centres that involved more than 1,500 victims.

“Throughout the period, JPAM had dispatched more than 200 personnel,” he said.

According to him, the four evacuation centres were ‘Dewan Serbaguna Embara Budi’, ‘Dewan Serbaguna Fajar Harapan’, ‘Dewan Serbaguna Cenderawasih’ and ‘Dewan Serbaguna Gemala Pura’.

However, Selamat noted that three of the evacuation centres are now closed and only ‘Dewan Serbaguna Embara Budi’ is still operational with more than 100 victims who are unable to return to their homes due to factors such as safety and their houses destroyed.