• Today: September 19, 2026

‘Complex disaster landscape requires holistic response capabilities’

The contemporary disaster landscape is becoming increasingly complex, with the nature of disaster threats continuing to evolve. This dynamic reality requires a transformation towards more holistic response capabilities, said Permanent Secretary (Strategic Management, Policy and Corporate) at the Ministry of Home Affairs Abdul Walid bin Haji Matassan.

He said this during the closing ceremony of the Second Series of the National Disaster Exercise 2026 yesterday.

The permanent secretary expressed his appreciation for the successful implementation of this year’s National Disaster Exercise (LBK). He described the exercise as a strategic benchmarking platform aimed at strengthening the national resilience framework.

According to him, modern disaster management must be underpinned by data-driven logic, supported by a high level of interoperability, and operate under a robust chain of command across all levels of ministries and agencies.

This proactive approach is essential to ensure that the country’s entire disaster management apparatus remains prepared and resilient in safeguarding public well-being and the country’s critical infrastructure.

The ceremony marked the successful completion of the national post-simulation exercise, which was specifically designed to assess cross-agency coordination capabilities under the national disaster management framework.

The exercise served as a transparent platform to strengthen operational preparedness, clarify the chain of command, and test a comprehensive and integrated disaster management framework.

It also reflected a comprehensive approach aligned with the Disaster Management Strategic Policy Framework (DMSPF), further translating the Government’s commitment to developing a strong and dynamic national resilience ecosystem.

The large-scale exercise brought together 197 participants from 39 agencies, comprising government agencies, including security agencies, as well as the private sector and non-governmental organisations.

The inclusive participation of various clusters reflected the effectiveness of national mobilisation in strengthening operational and tactical synergy across all levels of the disaster response chain.

This cross-sectoral integration further underscored the whole-of-nation approach as a key pillar in strengthening a sustainable and resilient national defence and disaster management system.

The 2026 National Disaster Exercise was conducted comprehensively through two exercise series. The First Series was held from June 23 to 25, 2026, while the Second Series took place from September 15 to 17, 2026.

This integrated exercise cycle placed the review and validation of the National Standard Operating Procedures (NASOP) at the core of the testing process.

Specifically, LBK 02/2026 focused dynamically on operational implementation and the level of cross-agency interoperability, guided by the Disaster Management Strategic Planning Framework (DMSRF) and the National Inventory Disaster Response Plan (NIDRP).

As a large-scale exercise platform, this year’s series successfully tested the effectiveness of multi-agency coordination in responding to projected multi-hazard scenarios.

The simulations included sudden disaster impacts such as seismic tremors, large-scale flooding, catastrophic failures of critical infrastructure, as well as cascading effects involving disruption to water supplies, telecommunications network congestion and disruptions to the national energy supply chain.

In addition, the Second Series of the National Disaster Exercise was expanded to test the capability to facilitate and coordinate international assistance mechanisms.

This included the activation of protocols for the reception and management of Foreign Disaster Assistance Teams, strategically coordinated in accordance with the ASEAN regional framework standards for large-scale disaster response.

The simulation exercise also served as a transparent assessment platform for the tactical operations of the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) and Temporary Evacuation Centres (PPSe) in the field.

To address projected extreme scenarios, agencies’ capabilities were comprehensively tested through the Mass Casualty Management component and the activation of Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) standard operating procedures.

The entire exercise chain was aimed at strengthening logistics management and resource allocation to ensure a smooth, integrated and resilient disaster response operation across all levels of the national chain of command.

Through detailed assessments of these critical elements, LBK 2026 successfully demonstrated the robustness of the operational and tactical chain of command and control.

The initiative also directly strengthened communication and inter-agency coordination mechanisms, thereby positioning response capabilities at an optimum level to address complex and large-scale disaster risks.

Overall, the implementation of the National Disaster Exercise 2026 demonstrated the continued aspiration and commitment of the government of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam to develop and strengthen a disaster management ecosystem that is safe, resilient and implemented through a phased and sustainable approach. 

Permanent Secretary (Strategic Management, Policy and Corporate) at the Ministry of Home Affairs Abdul Walid bin Haji Matassan speaks at the event. PHOTO: LYNA MOHAMAD
A section of the attendees. PHOTO: LYNA MOHAMAD

 

SOURCE/AUTHOR : BORNEO BULLETIN/LYNA MOHAMAD

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