THE 73rd Malaysia Civil Defence Day was celebrated yesterday, with the theme “Volunteers and Civil Defence: The Core of National Well-being”.

This theme strongly reflects the dedicated work of the Civil Defence Force of Malaysia, who, alongside other Malaysian uniformed personnel, serve selflessly and without complaint.

In light of this, I urge everyone to recognise and appreciate the sacrifices and dedication of not only the Civil Defence Force but also all uniformed personnel who have tirelessly given their all. However, it saddens me to see negative comments and jabs on social media ridiculing the roles and responsibilities of the force.

Please show respect for the uniform and what it represents, as it ultimately reflects on our sovereignty.

It is unfortunate that some individuals remain unaware of the existence of the Civil Defence Force, despite it having been in operation for 70 years.

The Malaysian Civil Defence Force, among other duties, handles disaster management, provides humanitarian services, educates the civilian population on civil defence and trains them for civil defence purposes. They also have a specialised disaster and emergency response team, the Spider team, which specialises in search and rescue operations.

I call on everyone to respect, honour and appreciate the sacrifices of the Civil Defence Force and uniformed personnel in the name of the Jalur Gemilang.

Yeap Ming Liong
Associate Captain

Malaysian Civil Defence Force