WE must stand in solidarity with the victims of the recent landslide that struck an organic farm campsite in Batang Kali, Selangor.

It is most heart wrenching to say the least. Please sympathise and empathise with the victims. We can all offer our condolences, say a prayer according to our respective faiths and keep them in our thoughts.

This moral support is the bare minimum we can do as a united family.

Please also lend your support to the various uniformed personnel and agencies involved in the search and rescue (SAR) operation.

It does not matter if it is the police, Fire and Rescue Department, Civil Defence Force or the special Malaysia disaster assistance and rescue team, or any other uniformed branch and volunteers. They are giving their all in the name of our beloved Malaysia.

Photos on social media and local news agency reports show them working tirelessly hand in hand to search for victims of the tragedy.

They too face risks, hazards and unpredictable weather conditions during the SAR operation and are racing against time to search for survivors.

Let us all stand together to offer our uniformed heroes the strength to soldier on in their operational duties. Do not take them for granted as they too may lose their lives in the line of duty.

They do not ask for much. You can see it in their eyes, that they only have one united objective, which is to save as many lives as possible.

We are really fortunate to be able to rely on them in our darkest hours. They too have families waiting for them to come home safely.

Do not critic them unnecessarily for matters beyond their control. Let us focus our positive energy and appreciate their selfless efforts.

Make no mistake, I am not only carrying a flag for the Civil Defence Force, but for all Malaysia’s finest who have selflessly upheld duty to God, King and Malaysia. – December 17, 2022.

* Yeap Ming Liong is an associate captain with the Civil Defence Force.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.