MARANG: The fire and rescue service will freeze the leave of all its officers and staff in five states in case of a critical flood situation in late November and mid-December.

Its chief executive Datuk Nor Hisham Mohammad said the move affected about 6,000 staff members in Terengganu, Kelantan, Pahang, Johor and Sarawak.

He said all concerned state directors have been informed and directed to implement the holiday freeze order following the warning of six rounds of heavy rain and high tide for two phases, namely from 27 to November 28 and December 15 to 17 by the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia).

“So far we have not frozen leave, we have just limited it. Only 20 percent of all members and officers are allowed to take leave.

“But we did instruct relevant state directors last week to be prepared to issue a vacation freeze order in the event of flooding beyond capacity and a series of severe red level rain.

Commenting further, Nor Hisham said that in preparation, his team had activated forward operating bases in two locations, namely in the Eastern Region of the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Academy, in Wakaf Tapai and in Ayer Hitam Fire and Rescue Station (BBP), Johor.

Meanwhile, he said, a total of 22 rapid action teams (red teams) have been formed across the country and the teams are equipped with various means to enable them to move to assist nearby stations. areas affected by flooding.

“Last year, we established three forward bases, including one in Penang. But we see that the West Coast region should not be as critical as the East Coast.

“For the red team, as soon as flooding is expected to occur, we will communicate and they will move faster to reach the scene,” he said. – Bernama