‘Kids must know what to do in case of a fire’

KUALA LUMPUR: There must be an improved standard operating procedure, especially for residential schools, to help children in cases of fire, said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

In extending his condolences to the victims’ families, Liow also urged the police to conduct a swift investigation into the cause of the fire at the Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah tahfiz in Jalan Datuk Keramat here.

“We are sad that young, vibrant children lost their lives.

“Unfortunately, we don’t know what really happened, which is why we need the police to investigate,” he said after a patriotic palm print mural hand-painting programme here yesterday.

Liow, who is also MCA president, later visited the bereaved families at Hospital Kuala Lumpur and personally pledged a RM1,000 donation to each family.

He said there should be better fire safety precautions and standard emergency exits in schools.

“We want to improve the SOP in all residential schools as this involves the lives of innocent stu- dents,” he said.

“We feel that children should also undergo fire drill training so that they know how to evacuate the school in the event of a fire.”

He earlier noted that MCA would set up a fund for the families.

“We want to start the ball rolling and I was told there are others, but we want to contribute too,” he added.

Meanwhile, Council of Churches of Malaysia general secretary Rev Dr Hermen Shastri said that it wished to convey its deepest sympathies and prayed for the families affected.

Malaysian Society of Clinical Psychology president Dr Zubaidah Jamil Osman urged the public not to circulate the video of the fire, which “can be very traumatising and disturbing for those trying to cope with these difficult times”.