50pc FAIL FIRE SAFETY CHECKS
Half of 956 Islamic schools don’t comply with guidelines, says Fire Dept
THE Fire and Rescue Department says half of 956 Islamic educational institutions, including tahfiz schools, do not meet fire safety requirements. The department warns that it will take court action if the institutions fail to deal with the deficiencies.
FIFTY per cent of the 956 Islamic educational institutions nationwide, including tahfiz schools, do not comply with fire safety requirements and require further improvements.
Fire and Rescue Department director-general Datuk Wan Mohd Nor Ibrahim said since the department began inspecting the institutions last month, it had issued 389 written reminders to institutions that failed to comply with the safety guidelines.
He said some institutions did not have sufficient firefighting equipment, including fire extinguishers.
He said many emergency exits in the schools’ buildings were unsafe.
“Checks revealed that 291 educational institutions do not have enough firefighting equipment and some do not have fire exits on their premises.
“The operators will be given time to improve their firefighting facilities to comply with the department’s specifications and building safety aspects.”
He urged the institutions to rectify and overcome weaknesses.
“Failure to adhere to the rules within the given time will force us to take them to court,” he said after opening the 2017 Fire Safety Campaign and Innovation exhibition here yesterday.
He said Selangor recorded the highest number of Islamic educational institutions and tahfiz schools that did not comply with fire safety specifications, followed by Johor and Kedah.
“The department is expected to finish inspecting all 1,117 Islamic educational institutions and tahfiz schools in the country by Oct 22.
“Our inspection also covers premises that are not registered with the authorities, and a detailed report will be presented during the cabinet meeting.”
He urged Islamic schools to install enough ladders to allow their students to escape during a fire, adding that such measures would avoid tragedies like the Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah religious school fire on Sept 14.
National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (Niosh) chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said: “The findings are a serious matter and required the attention of tahfiz school operators to ensure tragedies like the one in Jalan Datuk Keramat do not recur.
“We witnessed several more fire accidents in Seremban and Selangor following the (Jalan) Datuk Keramat school fire. So, I believe we should view this matter seriously and take action.”
He said action should be taken against tahfiz school operators who failed to address weaknesses in the fire safety structure of their buildings
“The authorities should tell them (the operators) what the problems are and give them a chance to resolve shortcomings.
“If they fail to do so, then it is up to the authorities to take action.”
He said Niosh, which was part of the Tahfiz Schools Special Task Force, would organise a nationwide campaign to help raise safety awareness in religious schools.
The task force, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, was formed following the Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah fire.
The cabinet had, on Sept 22, instructed the Fire and Rescue Department to inspect the safety standards of tahfiz schools in the country.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had said the move was important to prevent any recurrence of the blaze that destroyed the religious school and claimed the lives of 21 students and two wardens.
He said tahfiz schools that failed to adhere to fire and safety standards would be given time to rectify the flaws.
Tahfiz schools that fail to correct their weaknesses within a time frame, he said, would be forced to shut down.
Page 1 pic: A fire at the Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah tahfiz school in Jalan Datuk Keramat, Kuala Lumpur, claimed the lives of 23 people.