World Civil Defence Day is celebrated on March 1. The theme for this year’s celebrations is “Civil Defence and Management of Displaced Populations in Face of Disasters and Crises; Role of Volunteers and The Fight Against Pandemics”.
It resonates greatly with what Malaysia has faced recently. We are not only battling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also the frequent floods which hit several states over the past several months. I would like to take this opportunity to urge and remind fellow Malaysians to appreciate the sacrifices of my brothers and sisters in the Malaysian Civil Defence Force.
Do not conveniently forget the hard work, dedication and commitment they have done regardless if they are a rank and file personnel or an officer of the force. Each and every one of them have the same amount of love for the country in which they place above themselves.
Members of the force have always answered the call of duty. They are always one of the first to respond and react in any emergency or disaster. They battled harsh weather conditions manning road blocks during the COVID-19 lockdown periods, they rushed to rescue flood victims and were also on duty at vaccine centres nationwide. These are just among the many other duties facing them as part of a day’s work.
They do not ask for much. Their reporting for duty and serving Malaysia is already noble itself. I humbly call on all to respect, honour and appreciate not only the Civil Defence Force, but all uniformed personnel who have tirelessly given their all in the name of Malaysia.
Please appreciate their sacrifices and don’t take them for granted. They might not be there for us tomorrow. At the very least, we can offer them moral support by simply offering a word of thanks to the officer on duty. Trust me, it will go a long way in making someone’s day. It might just give them the strength to soldier on.
Let’s stand in solidarity with not only the Civil Defence Force, but all other frontliners and uniformed personnel, who truly are without a doubt, Malaysia’s finest.
Yeap Ming Liong
