LETTER | One can never go wrong in identifying a Civil Defence Force of Malaysia personnel. The bright royal blue uniform and orange beret are synonymous with the force. I was recently in Song, Sarawak for work and was immensely proud to notice two Civil Defence Force personnel on duty nearby the river jetty.

These two young men were diligently executing their duties and in my opinion to the best of their abilities. I can see in their eyes that they do not ask for much. They have only a common objective, which is to serve Malaysia wholeheartedly. This is evident in every single Civil Defence Force personnel not only in Sarawak but also across every corner of the country.

The Civil Defence Force has always answered the call of duty. They are present in almost every rescue operation. Members of the force were on duty during the Covid-19 lockdown periods, they were also executing rescue operations during the recent floods among many other duties to the nation. Their actions of reporting for duty and serving Malaysia is already a noble cause. They are always one of the first to respond and react in any emergency or disaster.

However, it is regrettable that there are members of the public, especially the younger generation, who are not aware of the existence of the Civil Defence Force. It is high time we all appreciate my brothers and sisters in the force. Let us not let their contributions go unnoticed or conveniently forgotten.

The Malaysian Civil Defence force among others carry out disaster management, perform humanitarian services, instruct the civilian population regarding civil defence and trains them for civil defence purposes. They even have their own special disaster and emergency response team known as the Spider team, which specialises in Search and Rescue (SAR).

I call on everyone to respect, honour and above all appreciate the sacrifices of not only the Civil Defence Force, but all uniformed personnel, who have tirelessly given it their all in the name of the Jalur Gemilang.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.