SHAH ALAM: If you have been reading Malaysian Defence for a while now, you would have read that the Army had taken delivery a large number of assault boats and trailers within the last one year or so.
The procurement of the boats was mandated by the government to allow the Army and the armed forces to undertake flood relief operations when and where needed apart from their military roles, of course.
From a post in June:
The other deliveries include 79 boat trailers, 33 assault boats and fourty-units of outboard motors. Checks on Eperolehan, showed that MRI Technologies Sdn Bhd was awarded a RM7.2 million contract to supply 98 assault boats from a tender published in April 2021. There were two separate tenders for boat trailers published in February and April, 2022. The tender for the 44 boat trailers (February) was awarded to Arena Mission Sdn Bhd for RM837,540 while the April one for 100 boat trailers was awarded to PureAmps Exclusive Sdn Bhd for RM3.4 million
It is likely the assault boats and trailers delivered were ones used by the Army in the current flood relief operations in Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang. With the trailers, the soldiers can now drive directly to the affected locations with the boats, ready for the deployment.
In the past, soldiers had to manhandle the assault boats and their outboard motors into the three-tonne lorries at their respective camps and once arrived at their designated locations had to carry them again into the water.
The same procedures have to be repeated once the relief operations are concluded. Apart from the assault boats and trailers, soldiers are also now issued life vests and rubber shoes for flood operations.
From pictures posted on the Defence Ministry and the military social media, soldiers are not issued rain jackets unlike the police and wet gear to operate in flood areas. It is unclear whether the rubber dinghies and seven tonne trucks meant for flood relief operations announced in March this year has been procured.
— Malaysian Defence
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View Comments (11)
I really believe, to cut costs and bureaucracy, we can deactivate APM/civil defence.
Some of the APM force can be absorbed into Bomba, which really needs additional manpower to deal with its day to day tasks, and probably 100% of what APM does actually overlaps with what Bomba does anyway.
We can officially designate as secondary tasks for all army battalions and also PGA/FRU battalions the task of flood relief operations. With that, equipments suitable for flood relief operations (aluminium boats, rubber inflatible boats, lifejackets etc.) to be made permanent assets of each battalion. HADR exercises by tentera darat/PGA battalions to be made as regular exercises (as part of HANRUH). A much better use of resources, rather than have a force (APM) that is specifically for floods or other disasters to happen.
Even the pusat pemindahan banjir, is not under APM (it is under JKM), so i think we would be fine even without APM.
Similar taskings could also be set for anti-poaching patrols in our forest reserves, in addition to current ops supporting anti-illegal immigrants landing on our shores.
It is good to see the armed forces now are taking more active roles in civvie rescues & HADR. If going by Hulubalangs logic, we should massively recruit Bomba & Polis rescue force while TDM troops should just sit tight in their camps waiting for war to come.
Anyhow, TDM rescue teams are getting more & more appropriate equipment to deploy rescue effectively; more boats & dinghies with trailers, more life vests & rubber footwear, no doubt in time for future floods they will also get raincoats & fixed searchlights.
"meant for flood relief operations announced in March this year has been procured"
Even if not manage for use this time, they will be needed for next year floods and the years after (yes sadly this will be an annual thing now, thanks to climate change).
@ joe
"If going by Hulubalangs logic, we should massively recruit Bomba & Polis rescue force while TDM troops should just sit tight in their camps waiting for war to come"
Don't make an ... out of yourself and properly understand what i write before commenting please.
Oh I understand what you wrote, but you dont seem to understand that our Armed Forces also need to have peace time duties. This is one such.
Its JPAM not APM
Nowdays, its APM.
@ joe
Please improve your english comprehension
"We can officially designate as secondary tasks for ALL ARMY BATTALIONS and also PGA/FRU battalions the task of flood relief operations"
what does the statement above meean?
or do you ASSUME that APM = Armed forces???????????
APM = Angkatan Pertahanan awam Malaysia aka Civil Defence.
@ Hasnan
It has been JPM and not JPAM since 2016.
Hulubalang "I really believe, to cut costs and bureaucracy, we can deactivate APM/civil defence."
Saving gov money at the cost of votes that may make them lose power and get prosecuted by their successors.
No sane politicians would do so.
@ zaft
There is nothing that APM does that is not done or cannot be done by other govermental departments such as Bomba, Military, Police, APMM etc.
Most APM personnel can be absorbed into Bomba, thus enable these human resources to be used for more tasks like fire and accidents, rather just for natural disasters.
Also a big part of its stated "task" is wartime support, when it is not even trained for it, and we have other units such as wataniah, rela etc that has the exact stated task.
And the main task of APM like flood response, landslides etc. can be lead and done by bomba, military and police.
Most voters don't even care if APM exists or not, just look at the confusion and misunderstandings about what APM is here.
And no money for APM = more money for bomba, military, police, health, education etc.
Also if JPM (Jabatan Perdana Menteri) is freed from managing APM, then it could take back the management of APMM/MMEA, which is now given a low priority under KDN (Kementerian Dalam Negeri).
@Hulubalang
"Please improve your english comprehension"
I will just reply that you should brush up on your reading skills because you obviously missed the start of this article;
"you would have read that the Army had taken delivery a large number of assault boats and trailers within the last one year or so. The procurement of the boats was mandated by the government to allow the Army and the armed forces to undertake flood relief operations when and where needed apart from their military roles, of course."
@Zaft
"No sane politicians would do so."
Indeed, and just like any other Govt branch/service, they will not be foreclosed lying down (see the attempt to amalgamate Polis Marin into MMEA then).
@ joe
"obviously missed the start of this article"
seriously?
how did you conclude (basically assume) that i missed that?
I suggested instead of some (like stated in the article), ALL army battalions to have flood relief equipments as part of their assets. Also to have flood relief explicitly be their secondary taskings, not just ad hoc like now.
and yet you say that "by Hulubalangs logic, we should massively recruit Bomba & Polis rescue force while TDM troops should just sit tight in their camps waiting for war to come"
So tell me how on earth all that i say on my 1st reply in this topic = TDM troops should just sit tight in their camps waiting for war to come??????????????????
Whose english comprehension is out actually?