BANGI, March 24 — Only 2.1 million individuals or 6.3 per cent of the Malaysian population have basic knowledge of civil defence, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Functions) Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali.
“The ICDO (International Civil Defence Organisation) recommends that at least 10 per cent of the people in a country must have such basic knowledge, but we still have a long way to go to reach that target,” he said.
As such, he said, the government wants to increase the percentage of Malaysians with basic civil defence knowledge, besides ensuring Malaysians are given appropriate training related to it.
“Those who have been given training will become volunteers who can help reduce reliance on the permanent staff of the Civil Defence Force (APM),” he told a media conference after officiating the 71st Civil Defence Force anniversary celebration, here, today.
At the function, it was announced that a total of 12 Civil Defence Auxilliary (CDA) teams were established based on three scopes of assistance, namely training, expertise and miscellaneous.
