KUALA LUMPUR, March 22 — MCA performs its social responsibility through a crisis relief squad (CRSM) that provides aid during disasters and stays on long after calamity strikes, president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said.

In an interview with Malay Mail, Liow said the CRSM came about from the party’s long history of being service-oriented.

"We have always been more community-based with strong grassroots foundations. It was our desire to be able to help communities at the first hour when disaster strikes,” he said.

Although MCA had already envisioned what was to become CRSM, Liow said the impetus was the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami that claimed over 280,000 lives in 14 countries, 68 of those in Malaysia. The squad came to be the following year.

"A tragedy of that magnitude is unimaginable, so for MCA to provide crisis relief was our own part to serve both the country and government in handling such phenomena,” he said.

The squad had its baptism of fire when it rushed to assist victims of the southern Malaysia floods in December 2006 and January 2007, sending 500 volunteers to Melaka and Johor.

Since then, it has helped in the 2011 floods in Pahang, Johor and Terengganu, as well as in the disappearance of Flight MH370 in 2014. CRSM volunteers had served as caretakers for the Chinese victims’ families, compiling information on those affected and setting up a next-of-kin centre.

The biggest challenge for the squad came at the end of 2014 with the floods that engulfed the northern and east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, and parts of Sabah and Sarawak. Over 200,000 people were affected, with 21 fatalities in one of the country’s worst natural disasters in recent times.

Liow said CRSM was organised on the grassroots, division, and branch levels, which enabled it to reach out to victims as quickly as possible.

"There are squad representatives and committees on state and division levels. When disasters occur, the committees immediately go on the ground, compiling information for a report which will be sent to the central party headquarters. From there it will be assessed on several factors, such as the need to set up a central relief centre.

"In the case of the 2014 floods, centres were set up immediately in Kelantan and Pahang due to the scale of those affected. The second step is delivering materials including food items, clean water and equipment to clean up,” he said.

By then, CRSM’s volunteering network had expanded significantly, with over 1,000 volunteers assisting Kelantan alone.

"The public was our main source of funds, which managed to reach RM5 million in a short space of time. If anything, the 2014 floods brought out the caring side of Malaysians, as we were also offered logistical support such as lorries and cleaning equipment,” Liow said.

Even individuals and organisations unrelated to CRSM stepped forth to help, as he said other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) approached the squad for guidance.

"In this sense, CRSM functioned to shepherd relief efforts by liaising with the NGOs and providing a sense of direction. It is important to note that volunteers from government agencies also came to help on their own accord,” Liow said.

The squad also ensures all relief efforts are comprehensive, instead of just one-off instances. Liow described how CRSM’s efforts to rebuild the destroyed homes of victims in Kelantan took well over six months.

"CRSM employs 50 full-time staff, including secretariats and personnel, who have been sent abroad to places like Taiwan to learn how others carry out relief management. Including them, another 2,000 volunteers have also joined these courses,” he said.

Under his tenure as party president, Liow said he intends to further the squad’s growth by keeping up with changes.

"Until recently we worked in close co-operation with the Social Welfare Department and the Fire and Rescue Department. With the government structure having changed, we must tailor ourselves to the National Security Council and the Civil Defence Force, which have taken over responsibilities related to disaster management,” he said.

For Liow, the squad’s abstract objective is to reinforce the need for a caring and socially harmonious community.

"Political strength and humanitarian aid is one thing, but increasing Malaysia’s happiness index by keeping its people socially intact is something we strive to achieve via CRSM.

"That is why we make no distinction in whose suffering we relieve, even though we are a party representing the Chinese community. No racial or religious difference can compare to saving human lives,” he said.