PUTRAJAYA: Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday announced the setting up of the National Centre for Excellence in Research to focus on aspects of disaster management.
Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, said the provision of a RM20 million fund, could be requested by institutes of higher learning through the Long Term Research Grant Scheme (LRGS) and Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS) specially for flood mitigation and management research.
“It is hoped the outcome of studies to be conducted can contribute to enhancing disaster management in the country,” he said when delivering the 2015 Education Ministry’s annual message at Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC) here yesterday.
Also present were Second Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh, deputy ministers Datuk Mary Yap Kain Ching and P Kamalanathan as well as the ministry’s secretary-general Tan Sri Dr Madinah Mohamed.
Muhyiddin said incidents of landslides, haze and floods that frequently occurred in the country needed an effective and comprehensive approach and made the field of disaster management increasingly important. — Bernama