THE Standing Order on Disaster Management Operations (PTO) for Earthquakes must be regularly updated to ensure that the country is prepared to face such eventualities, Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Functions Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Armizan Mohd Ali said.

He said the updates should also keep up with the times and the latest technology used by the various agencies involved.

Armizan said among the technologies and applications related to earthquakes that should be reflected in the update process are the digital mapping technology of the Survey and Mapping Department of Malaysia, remote sensing, and light detection and ranging.

“The National Disaster Management Agency is responsible for holding workshops to update the PTO, specifically to obtain input and advisory services from the various agencies involved.

“The PTO is also very important because we are always dealing with extreme and unexpected weather changes,” he said in a statement after closing the PTO review workshop in Kota Kinabalu last night.

Armizan said a revision of the PTO document also needed to be made in line with the disaster management landscape in the country as well as globally, in addition to making the necessary amendments to ensure its effectiveness.

“Based on empirical evidence, it’s not impossible for an earthquake to occur in Malaysia, so sharing the latest information and capabilities of each agency through this workshop is quite important,” he said.

Meanwhile, when met by reporters after the ceremony, he said the PTO was first issued in 2011, and it was due for a review.

He said the cooperation of agencies involved in various aspects including disaster management, economy, technology, and community engagement could ensure that the country was better prepared.

“An earthquake risk assessment carried out in Sabah found that it (the state) is in an area where it could occur. In terms of districts, the place with the highest risk is Ranau and some other districts face medium risk such as Kota Belud, Tuaran, and Kota Marudu.

“We must be ready to deal with disasters, where management aspects during the disaster, and post-disaster such as the provision of aid to victims must be strengthened, but we also need to be proactive in risk assessment,” he added. – Bernama, July 14, 2023.