He wants to discuss with the education ministry the benefits of volunteerism in safety and rescue mission as it was a good example of teaching students the ‘higher order thinking skills’ (HOTS).
Viewing HOTS as a good exposure on the importance of volunteering in a rescue mission, he said:
“The spirit of volunteerism in the safety and rescue mission in Malaysia is not well nurtured.
“Exposing them (students) to a critical situation such as safety and rescue mission will develop their endurance and train them to think ‘outside the box’.
“MVFRA (Malaysian Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association) membership should also be promoted among primary and secondary students so that they can start working together at an early age.
“Volunteerism cuts across race and religion because it is concerned with humanity,” he told reporters after launching the MVFRA off-road ambulance and breaking of fast here Sunday.
Devamany also said he would discuss with the education ministry to conduct a pilot study at school to see the impact of including volunteerism in the school curriculum.
“Instead of taking students to the Xtreme Park to train for their endurance and extreme sports, getting them to volunteer in a rescue mission itself is extreme,” he added.
Meanwhile, commenting on the off-road ambulance, the newly-minted deputy minister said the ambulance was sponsored by the government and was the first sponsorship to MVFRA.
“This is also a recognition to the organisation and its volunteers for their efforts and contribution to the safety and well-being of not only the Malaysian people, but also around the world.”
The off-road ambulance, which is also water proof, will be used to access remote areas and areas not accessible by regular ambulance during an emergency.
Established in 1991, MVFRA is a non-profit and non-governmental professional search and rescue team which has experienced working locally and globally in emergency situations such as flood, earthquake and landslide.
The organisation currently has 59 registered members and has volunteered in safety and rescue missions in eight countries, including Iran.
Source: BERNAMA