By Yeap Ming Liong
I WOULD like to remind the public that the Civil Defence Force of Malaysia is known as Angkatan Pertahanan Awam Malaysia, APM and not Jabatan Pertahanan Awam Malaysia, JPAM. The force used to be known as JPAM and I know that the acronym has sort of become a household name. I see some political leaders and the public making the mistake and this has to be corrected.
The rebranding is not new as the APM acronym has come into effect since September 2016. The Civil Defence Force like all other frontliners have served Malaysia tirelessly not only in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, but also during emergencies and disasters. Hence, it is only correct for everyone to address the force properly.
The Malaysian Civil Defence Force among others carry out disaster management, perform humanitarian services, instruct the civilian population regarding civil defence and to train them for civil defence purposes and also have their own special disaster and emergency response team known as the SPIDER team, which specialises in search and rescue (SAR).
The recent Light Rail Transit (LRT) collision while tragic is the perfect example of how our uniformed heroes such as the police, fire and rescue department and civil defence force work alongside their counterparts to not only protect but save lives.
I strongly urge the public to stand in solidarity with not only my brothers and sisters in the force, but all other frontliners. They have really have given their all for the country and they truly are without a doubt, Malaysia’s finest. – May 25, 2021
Yeap Ming Liong is the Associate Captain of Malaysian Civil Defence Force.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
