UniMAP Delivers Expertise To Kelantan

5 January 2015. Kangar – Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) continues its Volunteers Post-Flood Operations mission to Kelantan by sending in staff members with  a variety of skills and expertise in an effort to assist and to ease the burdens of its residents.

UniMAP Vice Chancellor Brig. Jen. Datuk Prof. Dr. Kamarudin Hussin said that for the second phase, 60 staff members of various positions and ranks consisting of engineers, technicians, medical doctors, lecturers, assistant registrars and counselors, travelled to Tumpat last night.

“This operation will concentrate on preservation, reparation and minor maintenance of government premises and victim's homes as well as helping to clean up school grounds for the launch of the school year which will begin on 11 January 2015 in Kelantan.

“UniMAP will also provide medical services and counseling to help relieve the trauma inflicted upon residents,” he said during the volunteer send-off at the UniMAP Flood Operation Centre in Seriab.

Also present were UniMAP PISKANITA Chairperson Datin Noridah Yangman, Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic and International Dato’ Prof. Dr. Zul Azhar Zahid Jamal, Deputy Vice Chancellor Student Affairs and Alumni Prof. Madya Dr. Mohd Fo’ad Sakdan, UniMAP Registrar Encik Zuber Hj Mohamad and Deputy Commandant Pasukan Latihan Pegawai Simpanan (PALAPES) (Reserve Officer Training Unit) of UniMAP Mejar Prof. Madya Dr. Zaliman Sauli.

Furthermore, UniMAP has also sent an Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) team to monitor the situation in Tumpat by air to view the effects of the flood in the area.

“UniMAP will carry out research focusing on developing UAV and sensor-based technology for early flood detection. I believe this is an opportunity to employ UniMAP technology to help society.

“UniMAP's Centre of Excellence Unmanned Aerial Systems (COEUAS) will be using Digital Elevation Model (DEM) technology to identify terrain position of the area. From the findings, we would be able to determine the source of water flow,” he said.

This study will be carried out with the cooperation of several renowned companies such as EMT Germany, Drei Sohne Technologies (Deutchland) Sdn Bhd (DST) and Aerial Imaging Sdn Bhd.

Additionally, Prof. Dr. Kamarudin hopes that UniMAP researchers would develop a technology to save flood items through buoyancy techniques or packing of items to avoid destruction.

In the meantime, the Post-Flood Operations will be accomplished in seven phases with the participation of different groups of volunteers. The first phase of the UniMAP Volunteers Post-Flood Operations, consisting of 107 diploma students from the Reserve Officer Training Unit (PALAPES), left for Tumpat on 1 January 2015 and is expected to arrive back in UniMAP today.

The second phase is expected to be concluded on 9 January and will be replaced by the third phase which will make up of uniformed bodies volunteers, Alumni volunteers, Sukarelawan Muda (Youth Volunteers) from 8 to 11 January 2015.

Mobilisation of the fourth phase of volunteers will involve the Majlis Perwakilan Kolej Kediaman (MKPP) Residential College Representative Council from 11 to 15 January 2015 while the fifth, sixth and seventh phases of volunteers will be made up of about 1,500 students through the organisation of the Program Inovasi Sosial 1Malaysia (1Malaysia Social Innovation Programme) in three flood-afflicted states like Kelantan, Perlis and Pulau Pinang.