Ahmad Zahid (second right) shakes hands with Wan Junaidi as Masir (left) and Nur Jazlan (right) look on. — Bernama photo
PUTRAJAYA: The Department of Civil Defence (JPAM) has been placed under the jurisdiction of the Prime Minister’s Department effective yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also Home Minister, said the JPAM, which will be under the supervision of Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim, would now be the main agency in the management of natural disasters.
He said the move to place JPAM, which is formerly under the Home Ministry (KDN), under the Prime Minister’s Department, clearly showed the government’s commitment in matters related to disaster management.
“The matter has been decided by the prime minister long before (the cabinet reshuffle) and it comes into effect when the new cabinet comes into force,” he told reporters after the celebration of his appointment as Deputy Prime Minister at the KDN Complex here yesterday.
Also present were his two deputies in KDN, Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed and Masir Kujat, as well as former deputy Datuk Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, who has been appointed as the Natural Resources and Environment Minister.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Zahid said the National Security Council (MKN), which had always been involved in the management of disasters, had been entrusted to be the coordinating agency in the matters of national security, involving departments and agencies under the KDN and Defence Ministry.
“This is the prime minister’s new approach to strengthen the roles of MKN in the era where focus should be given to security matters, besides the tasks carried out by the KDN and Defence Ministry,” he said.
When asked about the segregation of duties between his two new deputies, Ahmad Zahid said he believed in sharing the responsibilities in managing the eight departments and agencies under the KDN.
“I will discuss with the KDN secretary-general Datuk Alwi Ibrahim, not only about the segregation of duties, but also about duties that could be performed through responsibility-sharing method,” he added. — Bernama