PUTRAJAYA: With the monsoon season approaching amid the Covid-19 pandemic, agencies and disaster response teams must coordinate their resources to face a “disaster within a disaster”, says Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

       The Prime Minister said it was important for response personnel to be mindful of the disease while at the same time, act swiftly in rescue exercises and manage relief centres effectively.

       “To lessen the risk of Covid-19 infection, standard operating procedure and guidelines in place must be adhered to by all those on duty,” he said at the #DisasterReadyMalaysianFamily programme in conjunction with the National Preparedness Month on Monday (Nov 8).

       Ismail Sabri said several community-based disaster risk management programmes have been outlined in conjunction with the National Preparedness Month where the objective is to empower the community by exposing them to their role as early responders during a disaster.

       He said by having such programmes and educating the public on the “to dos” during a disaster, dependency on responders and agencies could be lessened.

       “To be prepared for a disaster is a continuous process so that the people will always be updated with the latest know-how.

       “This process should also encourage inclusivity so that everyone can play a role in protecting lives and properties, in line with the concept of maqasid syariah (objectives of Islamic principles),” he said.

       The Prime Minister also said as the lead agency, the National Disaster Management Agency has taken a proactive measure to come up with Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), which spells out what needs to be done before, during and after the disaster.

       He said the DRR is not just about preparing the necessary infrastructure to face disasters but also encompasses preventive actions and lowering risks.