KUCHING: The State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) will rise to the occasion in overcoming any disaster challenges as it has very strong teamwork and past experiences.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, who is its chairman, said this during an appreciation dinner on Tuesday for officers from various government department and agencies involved in the just concluded Seventh Statewide Anti-Rabies Operation.
The special operation had covered Kapit, Mukah and Bintulu Divisions.
Also present at the dinner were Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian, State Security and Enforcement Unit director Datuk Dr Chai Khin Chung, deputy State Secretary Datuk Ik Pahon and the District officers, senior police officers and civil servants from the three divisions.
“We have done six operations very successfully despite minor hiccups. But we have learnt a lot. These have allowed us to constantly improve.
“The next operation, the eighth, will hopefully be our last,” Uggah said.
He added that that the state has targeted to be free of rabies in two years’ time.
“The requirement is we must be able to vaccinate 70 per cent of the estimated over 200,000 dogs statewide.
“Our on-going operation is aimed at achieving 100 per cent vaccination.
“Then there is the need for targeted removal of stray dogs,”
He said this had been very challenging and very difficult to implement in some places.
“But we have got to do what we have got to do.
“The government’s policy is to save life over any other issues,” he said.
Uggah commended the police department for the role they had played in the operations where they were “the commanding officers on the ground”.
On another development, the deputy chief minister said preparations were being done to prepare for possible floods in the coming months.
“We are not sure where it will happen. In 2016, it affected Kuching. Then a year later Baram was hit and then Bintulu.
“But like I have just said we will overcome whatever challenges based on the very strong teamwork and the experiences we have.”
