PUTRAJAYA: The National Security Council (NSC) will let the government decide whether the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) is relevant and required to assist in any national disaster, particularly floods.

NSC director-general Datuk Rodzi Md Saad said it was a matter for the government to decide and NSC would not interfere in any decision taken by the government.

"We will leave it to the government to decide and make the necessary announcement when it is finalised.

"But on the NSC's part, we will continue to serve and provide assistance whenever needed, in any situation. 

"We will continue to play a pivotal role in providing any necessary aid to victims affected by natural disasters and facing any security threat," he said.

This comes after many complaints were lodged against Nadma. This was after the agency allegedly failed to provide the necessary help for flood disaster victims in several incidences.

Nadma was accused of being late and ineffective in rendering help to the disaster victims during last December's massive floods, which saw thousands displaced and stranded in their houses without food and basic necessities for days.

It is learnt that several meetings have been held with the Prime Minister's Office, including with the prime minister himself, to decide on the agency's role and relevance when a disaster occurs.

Rumours of Nadma's disbandment has been making the rounds, suggesting that the agency would no longer handle disaster management and instead its role would be absorbed by the NSC.

"We (NSC) are prepared and will provide all the necessary assistance in the event of a disaster or when floods occur. NSC will continue to carry (out our responsibility)," he said after launching the ICTSO 2022 at Dewan Damar Sari here today.

Speaking on the convention, Rodzi said the purpose of the three-day ICTSO 2022 convention was to increase collaboration among industry players and government agencies to jointly protect the nation from any potential cyber threats faced by the country.

"We also want to explore and find the best security solution, in line with the latest threats, to keep our data and cyberspace safe (from intrusion).

"I hope that through this convention, we will be able to share our experience, expertise and find ways through technology and innovation to further improve our present cyber security features that are in place," he said.

The convention is being organised by the National Cyber Security Agency (NASCA). The convention, themed 'Malaysia: Towards Secured Digital Services', will host 400 delegates comprising ICT managers and ICT Security Officers from government agencies and CISO from Critical National Information Infrastructures agencies.

The convention, which ends on Thursday, features 31 speakers from security-related agencies, from both the public as well as private sectors, where best practices will be shared and exchanged to ensure there are no security breaches in the country's cyber systems.

Among the exhibitors taking part in the convention are big names such as Kaspersky, Bae Systems, Deloitte and Heitech Padu, which are pioneers in the cybersecurity field.