KUALA LUMPUR: The leave of all Fire and Rescue Department staff, as well as staff from two other agencies under the Housing and Local Government Ministry involved in providing assistance and managing floods, has been frozen with immediate effect starting today.
Its minister Nga Kor Ming said the instruction also applies to staff of the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation (SWCorp) and the National Solid Waste Management Department.
Nga said the instruction was issued following the worsening flood situation in eight states in the country.
"I was informed that the number of flood evacuees in these states has exceeded 75,000 people involving some 24,000 families.
"I was also told that this round of flooding has claimed the lives of four people.
"As such, I want to announce that the leave of staff in the Fire and Rescue Department, SWCorp, and the National Solid Waste Management Department has been frozen with immediate effect," Nga said during his speech at the ministry's media appreciation night here today.
Also in attendance was Fire and Rescue Department director-general Datuk Nor Hisham Mohammad.
Nor Hisham had previously said that the department will freeze the leave of all its officers and personnel in five states in the event of a critical flood situation in late November and mid-December.
Nor Hisham said the move involved about 6,000 staff in Terengganu, Kelantan, Pahang, Johor and Sarawak.