‘Individuals handling fireworks must be licenced, qualified’

KUALA LUMPUR: Individuals entrusted to light fireworks at any events must be licensed and qualified to do it, InspectorGeneral of Police Tan Khalid Abu Bakar said.

He said organisers of events which involved firework display could not simply hire certain individuals to light the fireworks for fear that it would cause untoward incidents due to improper handling.

“The types of fireworks used in such events must also meet the stipulated standards and regulations.

“These are among the details to be considered by the police before approving permit applications for fireworks display,” he told Bernama here yesterday.

Besides, Khalid said the area and the distance between the individuals who light the fireworks and the spectators should also be taken into consideration to ensure safety.

Khalid said this in response to the incident which saw 14 people, four of whom were children,

The types of fireworks used in such events must also meet the stipulated standards and regulations. Tan Khalid Abu Bakar, Inspector-General of Police

suffered burns caused by fireworks at a celebration to usher the new year at the Pandamaran Sports Complex in Port Klang yesterday.

He said the police would investigate the reason why the Klang Municipal Council ( MPK) did not apply for police approval for organising the fireworks display, and whether the individuals handling the show had any permit to do so.

MPK is the organiser of the three- day Fiesta Gegar Klang 2016 ended yesterday.

It is learnt that the fireworks exploded on the ground instead of in the air and injured those nearby.

Meanwhile, Bernama checks on the permit applications for fireworks display to usher the new year found that many organisers in the Klang Valley had obtained proper permit to organise the shows.

In fact, Petaling Jaya District Police chief ACP Mohd Zani Che Din said they had approved the permit applications submitted by all shopping complexes in the district to carry out fireworks display in the compound of their premises on Saturday night.

“Before the permits were issued, the police had carried out inspections on the open area to be used as the launch site and had also inspected all fireworks to be lighted during the show,” he told Bernama.

Mohd Zani added that each launch area must have appropriate safe distance and that no spectator should be allowed to enter the area. — Bernama