KOTA KINABALU: A centre to pool domestic and foreign expertise to provide emergency response plan for any disaster such as earthquake should be a priority for Sabah, which is prone to such natural disaster.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said last year’s deadly quake had shown that Malaysia can no longer be regarded free from natural disaster.
“We need to have an effective disaster management procedure that can prepare an early warning system as well as mobilise speedy and efficient disaster relief efforts. While we may not be able to prevent such disasters, we can however minimise the sufferings and damages. We cannot afford to take the matter lightly and the government should be willing to invest in minimising damage and loss of lives due to natural disasters,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Lee added Malaysia also needs a medium to long-term plan for natural disaster management that incorporates environmental planning, building design standards, evacuation SOP and efficient relief procedures. We can learn from experiences of other countries and cities such as Japan and San Francisco.
“The educational programmes on disaster preparedness conducted by experts from the Fire and Rescue Department and Universiti Malaysia Sabah need to be enhanced so that a culture of preparedness can be built. Besides safety education, we must also implement all forms of safety drills, whether for earthquakes or other emergencies,” he said.
Eightreen climbers were killed when the earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale rocked Mountain Kinabalu at 7.15am on June 5, last year, including four mountain guides. On that day, there were 195 people on Mount Kinabalu, an iconic and spiritual symbol of the people of the Land Below the Wind.
Although life is slowly returning to normal, the mountain trails are opened to the public and tourists are flocking to highland destinations in Sabah, the scars of the tragedy will never fade, just like the tsunami which occurred 12 years ago. The 2004 tsunami had claimed more than 250,000 lives in 14 countries including 75 people in Malaysia.
The harrowing experience and the trauma of the climbers, the guides and rescuers are felt until today, while the families and the loved ones of the victims are still coming to terms with the tragedy.
The mountain guides, or malim gunung were the real heroes who put their own lives at risk and four of them died while protecting climbers during the earthquake. In fact, they were among the first who were killed in that tragedy.
The guides, who know the area well, had done the main rescue work by cutting out temporary trails through the devastated mountain landscape to bring climbers down the mountain.
When the earthquake struck, other guides and park rangers also did not think twice as they raced up the mountain from below to provide assistance. They risked life and limb to save the lives of others.
The supreme sacrifices and selfless act of these unsung heroes should be forever remembered and their roles and contribution should be recognised and appreciated. For the guides who died in the earthquake — Valerian Joannes, Ricky Masirin, Robbie Sapinggi and Joseph Solungin they will always be in our hearts.
Many people, including 20 family members of nine Singaporeans who died in the disaster, started the commemorative climb on 5 June to pay tribute to those who perished in the earthquake and honour the sacrifices made by the guides.
Lee also said measures to improve safety for the climbers need to be implemented. Climbers, divers and tourists coming to Malaysia need to be assured that should any untoward incident happens, the country has a well-trained search-and-rescue team and efficient disaster management centre.
Despite their familiarity of the mountain terrain and survival skills, he stressed that the local guides need to be equipped with formal safety training.
NIOSH is developing a special occupational safety and health (OSH) training module, targeted at mountain guides and other high-risk workers in tourism sector. This would enable those who are involved in marine, forest and river activities, to identify hazards, be more prepared and react better in the event of emergency.
According to Lee, good communication is essential for mountain guides and in this case, walkie-talkies should be provided to malim gunung when they bring climbers up on Mount Kinabalu. These mountain guides should also be given better benefits such as improved allowances and they should be insured.
“I strongly believe that the damage and loss can be curbed by the safety steps we take before, during, and after a natural disaster,” he said.
Lee also said foreign tourists in Malaysia should respect local culture and traditions.
“What foreign holidaymakers did on top of Mount Kinabalu, a world heritage site, a few weeks before the earthquake was an act of disrespect of local beliefs and customs. The tourists, ignoring the guides request to keep their clothes on, had stripped and posed for photographs, which later emerged on social media a few days before the earthquake,” he said.
Standing majestically at 13,435 feet above sea level, the mountain which is also known as Aki Nabalu, meaning the revered place of the dead, is considered a sacred site by most of the Sabahans.