Northeast Monsoon 2025/2026: MCMC Sets Up EDRT For Communications Sector Readiness

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 18 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has set up its Emergency and Disaster Response Team (EDRT) to strengthen readiness in the communications, post and courier sectors to face the Northeast Monsoon 2025/2026.

The MCMC said that the team has been designated as part of the Civil Defence Force (CDF) auxiliaries in Kuantan, Pahang today.

"The launch was officiated by MCMC managing director Abdul Karim Fakir Ali and gathered various agencies involved in disaster management, “ the commission said, adding that a disaster management framework covering three major phases has been developed to tackle the Northeast Monsoon.

The first phase - pre-disaster readiness - involves risk-assessment of communication towers, identification of risk areas, preparation of assets and power supply, while the second phase, response during disasters encompasses activation of management plans to ensure continued communication coverage, and the third phase is a review of standard operating procedures to improve the post-disaster process.

“The framework was distributed to the Central Disaster Management Committee during a meeting chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister on Oct 13 for the purpose of implementing the preparation,” the commission said, adding that critical communications networks can be more resilient with minimum interruptions thanks to partnership with related agencies and industry players.

According to MCMC data, a total of 597 transmitter stations were affected throughout the last monsoon season, with 54.1 per cent being in the East Region, and 147 National Information Dissemination Centres in Kelantan, Terengganu, Sarawak, Sabah and several other states were also affected.

The Meteorological Department has forecasted that the Northeast Monsoon 2025/2026 will begin early November and last till March 2026.

-- BERNAMA