Ministry mulls plan to provide more stations, training for volunteer firefighters in Sarawak
KUCHING: There is a need for officials from the federal Housing and Local Government Ministry and its agencies to look into the necessary procedural and regulatory modifications when it comes to setting up more fire stations and the training of more volunteer firefighters in Sarawak.
According to special Sarawak officer to the ministry Voon Shiak Ni, the federal Minister of Housing and Local Government Zuraida Kamaruddin is most concerned with the challenges faced by rural Sarawakians – including the longhouse folk – and as such, she has instructed her officers to accord special attention to this matter.
“As there are more than 5,000 longhouses and smaller villages scattered throughout Sarawak – many in clusters or in close proximity with one another, but far away from the nearest towns – it is of the minister’s opinion that having more volunteer firefighters’ stations – each with its own building and firefighting equipment and vehicles – would be a more practical option for Sarawak.
“At the same time, we (in Sarawak) are also submitting our suggestion to the ministry, calling for a more intensive training of community volunteer firefighters capable of providing basic firefighting and SAR (search-andrescue) services,” Voon said in a statement yesterday.
Voon said Zuraida, during her numerous visits to Sarawak, had gone to the ground personally and visited many longhouses.
“In early November, she ( Zuraida) visited many longhouses in the central region (of Sarawak).”
Voon also said plans to provide safer homes to the longhouse folk had been discussed.
“We also call for more people to come forward and register as volunteer firefighters. The ministry is seriously looking into the urgent need of a fire station (for the volunteers) – for instance, one for Sungai Asap ( Belaga).
“We note the concern; the number of longhouse fire cases is on the rise, with two longhouses destroyed by fire in the past week that left several hundreds of residents homeless.
“We urge all longhouse residents to conduct regular checks at their respective units, including checks on the fire extinguishers – making sure they are they are still in good order and have not expired,” stressed Voon.
Last Saturday, the 49- door Rumah Usek Sumpit at Sungai Keriok in Niah was razed by fire – leaving 350 people homeless.
The longhouse is located about 100km from Miri city. On Nov 19, Uma Bakung at Mile 20 in Sungai Asap, Belaga was also destroyed by fire.
According to a report from the Fire and Rescue Department, 23 longhouses were destroyed or damaged by fire in Sarawak this year to- date. The data also disclosed that the fire incidents affected 526 longhouse units – or doors – of which 404 doors were burned down. Last year, fires affected 25 longhouses in Sarawak – 357 of the total 581 doors were destroyed.