Fadillah: About time traditional villages have volunteer firefighting units

KUCHING: It is about time the Malay traditional villages in Petra Jaya set up their own volunteer firefighting units.

Minister of Works Datuk Fadilah Yusof said in the long term, they would have to look into this area. He said in Kuching or in his Petra Jaya parliamentary constituency there are many traditional villages, which have houses built very close to each other.

“As such, we encourage every village to form its voluntary firefighting unit.

“We need trained fire fighting volunteers in the villages, especially where fire and rescue machines cannot come in because of the narrow road,” he told reporters during a visit and handing-over of financial aid to the fire victims in Kampung Tupong Jaya here yesterday.

He believed there are trained firefighting volunteers available in the area; they might be able to help minimise the effects of fire and save lives in villages where the houses are so closed to each other.

Fadillah said he would also try to bring in some government agencies, especially the training centres, to help conduct electrical wiring courses for the villagers living in traditional villages in his constituency so they can help to replace or do some maintenance work on the old wiring according to Sesco standard.

“Based on investigation done by Fire and Rescue Dept, short circuit is the most common cause of fire outbreak. Short circuit happens when the old wiring is not properly maintained,” he said.

Fadillah said he would also discuss with the Malaysian Construction Academy (ABM), which comes under his ministry, on ways to help the villagers replace the old wiring system.