Shahidan (seventh left) and Dr Mohamed Mustafa (sixth right) with other personnel and cadets in a group photo at the Commissioning Ceremony of the Student Civil Defence Corps of Institutions of Higher Learning 2017 at UUM. — Bernama photo
SINTOK: The Civil Defence Force (APM) is committed to luring more volunteers among the civil servants in a bid to increase the strength of the force which now has 1.4 million members nationwide.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Dr Shahidan Kassim said the effort was to ensure that the force would be stronger and capable of being in full state of preparedness, especially in facing natural disasters, such as floods which occur during the monsoon season between October and February.
“Right now, the APM through its senior officers are waiting to enter government departments and agencies (to register new volunteers), but we have some restrictions in terms of manpower.
“Once we have registered them, we will plan our strategies to face disasters and the monsoon season,” he told reporters after officiating at the Commissioning Ceremony of the Student Civil Defence (SISPA) Corps of Institutions of Higher Learning 2017 at Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) here yesterday.
Also present were APM chief commissioner Major General Datuk Azmy Yahya dand UUM SISPA Corps Commandant Prof Datuk Seri Dr Mohamed Mustafa Ishak.
Shahidan, who is also Chairman of the National Security Council (MKN), said the APM had managed to register over 400,000 new members over the past few months and that he was confident the force could achieve the target to register two million members by end of this year and three million next year.
“We have the second highest membership after Rela. Now, we call on volunteers, either from charity organisations or religious bodies, to also register as APM volunteers so that they can be trained with some rescuing skills and knowledge,” the minister said.
In his speech earlier, Shahidan also proposed for SISPA Corps to be renamed APM Undergraduate Corps to make it more identifiable by the public.
“The participation of university students in the APM is a good move to train them to become APM officers and full members with vast knowledge of natural disasters and emergency situation,” he said.
A total of 660 SISPA Corps members from institutions of higher learning nationwide were commissioned as Second Lieutenant (PA) at the ceremony. — Bernama