ASEAN to conduct ARDEX-05 exercise

ASEAN to conduct ARDEX-05 exercise

JAKARTA: The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will
conduct a regional disaster emergency response simulation
exercise on Monday in Selangor, Malaysia, the ASEAN Secretariat
announced in Jakarta.

The exercise, known as ARDEX-05, will be the first regional
exercise involving multiple ASEAN countries and will mobilize
personnel and equipment across borders.

"The exercise will provide guidance and lessons for the
development of ASEAN standby arrangements and standard operating
procedures ...," the ASEAN Secretariat said in a statement.

It will be conducted within the framework of the ASEAN
Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response, signed
by the Foreign Ministers of ASEAN during the 38th ASEAN
Ministerial Meeting in the Laotian capital Vientiane in July this
year.

The exercise will be based on the scenario of a serious
earthquake in peninsular Malaysia, which would affect mostly the
population dense state of Selangor. Malaysia would mobilize its
emergency response capacities to respond to the situation,
however the number of casualties would force it to call for
regional assistance from countries like Brunei Darussalam and
Singapore, the statement said. -- JP