The government has agreed to give RM100 million to the military to buy assets and to help prepare for future floods.
Defense Minister Mohamad Hasan said the funds were approved at a cabinet meeting yesterday. “Currently, the army uses combat boats, but we need flying boats like the ones used by the commandos, as well as fire and rescue services.
“It is part of our preparation to deal with non-traditional threats and provide rescue assistance in such situations (floods),” he told reporters after visiting flood victims in SK Temenggong. Abdul Rahman temporarily escapes here. Mohamad said that these assets will be invested in states that are prone to floods, such as Johor, Pahang, Terengganu, Kelantan and Negeri Sembilan.
He said 1,500 soldiers have been deployed to help flood victims in Johor, including 28 boats and 33 trucks. They include the Army Medical Corps, the Royal Engineer Corps and the Technical Department.
The ministry has also dispatched crews for the first time to help flood victims in Johor, he added. Mohamad said the Bailey Bridge along Felda Selancar Road, Rompin, Pahang would be completed in a day or two.
On March 1, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced the construction of the Bailey bridge after the current flood.
