Snuffed out by apathy
Fire safety by-laws are in place but many states have not adopted them
Our homes can be death traps in the event of a fire. It is disappointing that amendments in 2012 to by-laws governing fire safety in buildings – and which require extinguishers in all new low-rise homes from then on – have only been adopted by four states. The Fire and Rescue chief cites complacency and a lack of priority as reasons for the cool reception from the other states.
PETALING JAYA: Recent deadly fires are a wakeup call for state authorities to adopt fire safety bylaws which were passed five years ago but have yet to be gazetted in all states.
Fire and Rescue Services Department directorgeneral Datuk Wan Mohd Nor Ibrahim said only Sabah, Selangor, Terengganu and Penang have gazetted the Uniform Building ByLaws 1984 (Amendment 2012) (UBBL) to better protect those living in both highrise and lowrise homes in the country.
He said that apart from these four states, Sarawak has its own building ordinance.
“I hope that those states which have yet to adopt the bylaws will do so as soon as possible,” he told The Star.
Under the UBBL, all residential buildings above 30m or 10 storeys built after 2012 in the four states must be equipped with fire detectors.
Furthermore, lowrise homes below 18m built after 2012 must also come equipped with a fire extinguisher.
“Those purchasing a new home have the right to ask their developers for a fire extinguisher in states that have adopted the bylaws,” he added.
However, Wan Mohd said it was for local councils, as the authority that approves building plans, to monitor the implementation of the UBBL.
“The fire department does not have the manpower to conduct doortodoor inspection on all residences.
“It is left to local councils and homeowners to ensure that the fire extinguisher requirement is met,” he said.
Asked about the delay by some states in gazetting the UBBL, Wan Mohd said it was due to complacency and low priority given to fire safety.
He also advised homeowners to install window grilles that can be opened to avoid being trapped inside their houses or apartments during a fire.
On Feb 6, a family of four perished in a predawn fire after being trapped on the upper floor of their doublestorey terrace house in Jalan USJ 2/3, Subang Jaya.
The body of Lim Ah Kok, 58, was found with those of his two sons, Yong Liang, 20, and Yong Wei, 17, in the second room on the upper floor while his wife Goh Bee Khim, 51, was found in the bathroom of the master bedroom.
On a separate matter, Wan Mohd said there are plans to set up a fire consultant registry to ensure that only registered consultants are allowed to submit building fire safety plans to the local authorities for approval.
In 2016, fires claimed a total of 107 lives while injuring 477 and causing RM2.86bil in losses.
The highest number of deaths were recorded in Selangor (20) followed by Sabah (19), Johor (17) and Sarawak (10).