Amateur Radio Enthusiasts Asked Not To Use Frequencies Tomorrow In Support Of IOWave25

MELAKA, Nov 4 (Bernama) -- All amateur radio enthusiasts in the country are requested not to use radio frequencies tomorrow (Nov 5) from 4 pm to midnight to allow for the implementation of the Indian Ocean Wave Exercise 2025 (IOWave25), coordinated by the UNESCO-Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (UNESCO-IOC).

International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Region 3 director Mohd Aris Bernawi said the exercise was aimed at testing the tsunami preparedness level and efficiency of emergency communication systems in countries around the Indian Ocean region that are under the union's umbrella.

"All IARU members and individual amateur radio stations in the region, including Malaysia, have been requested to clear the affected frequencies to give priority to the exercise conducted by the Radio Society of Sri Lanka (RSSL).

"The directive was announced officially by IARU Region 3 president Wisnu Widjaja, in Jakarta, Indonesia (previously), and all amateur radio enthusiasts in the region are expected to provide full cooperation to ensure the smooth running of the exercise," he said in a statement here today.

Mohd Aris, who is also the Malaysian Amateur Radio Transmitters’ Society (MARTS) president, said RSSL will support Sri Lanka’s Disaster Management Centre (DMC) by operating the emergency communications network via high frequency (HF) and very high frequency (VHF) throughout the training period.

He said high priority is given to uninterrupted communications to ensure the effectiveness of regional emergency simulations.

IOWave25 is an annual exercise involving countries in the Indian Ocean region, aimed at ensuring emergency communications systems function at optimum levels during a tsunami threat.

This exercise emphasises close coordination between amateur radio operators and local disaster management authorities.

However, MARTS members and amateur radio enthusiasts in Malaysia are generally encouraged to monitor the frequencies used without making any calls, as an effort to strengthen communication skills in emergency and disaster situations at the international level.

-- BERNAMA