Old, improperly installed electrical wiring a potential fire hazard — MP

SARIKEI: Property and house owners are advised to replace the old and improperly installed electrical wiring at their premises with new, more fitting ones to minimise fire hazard.

Tanjung Manis MP Datuk Norah Tun Abdul Rahman, in giving this advice, expressed her concern following several fire cases in her constituency which had been linked to short- circuit triggered by faulty internal wiring.

The fire that razed the 17- door Rumah Saba at Sungai Enseluai in Sare near here on April 9 and claimed one life, is believed to have been caused by short- circuit as residents claimed to have seen sparks from the longhouse’s internal wiring system, which later burst into flames.

The parliamentarian’s concern was compounded after she was told by the residents of several longhouses that she visited in Kerbong, Kerapa and Sare areas near here last Thursday that their wiring systems were already over 20 years old; some of the connections were done by themselves without any approval from the authority concerned.

“I also noticed the poor workmanship on the wiring system carried out by the contractors at some longhouses,” Norah disclosed.

She hoped that Sesco would conduct checks on the internal wiring connections at the longhouses and at the same time, advised the residents to have their wiring changed if the old ones were no longer safe to use.

She also advised the villagers to always seek the services of those certified by Sesco when it came to installing the electrical wiring system at their units.

Norah also expressed her full support to the setup of the Voluntary Fire and Rescue Unit for the Kerubong and Kerapa areas.

At the ‘ Leader with the People’ gathering at Rumah Jawan in Kerubong recently, Norah pledged an allocation of RM130,000 for the purchase of firefighting equipment for her constituents.