Deputy Prime Minister urges states to turn 2030 Disaster Risk Policy into action plans

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi used the National Preparedness Month 2026 launch in Ipoh to demand that every Malaysian state translate the National Disaster Risk Reduction Policy 2030 into actionable, risk-based plans with defined responsibilities and measurable targets. Emphasising the looming threat of Northeast Monsoon floods and prolonged dry spells linked to El Niño, he called for pre-emptive preparation and tight inter-agency coordination, especially among the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability, Energy Transition and Water Transformation, Housing and Local Government, and Agriculture and Food Security ministries.

Zahid referenced recent low-magnitude tremors in Gerik, floods in Nepal and a cyclone in Sri Lanka to illustrate how quickly disasters can disrupt lives. He commended nearly 30,000 volunteers from 45 agencies for more than 1,000 relief operations in the past ten months and urged systematic aid delivery, including permanent school-based evacuation centres and streamlined Compassionate Cash Assistance to flood victims while still in temporary shelters. The deputy prime minister concluded that disaster preparedness must be an ongoing commitment, not a reaction after the fact.