KL FIRE IS DÉJÀ VU FOR KEDAH SCHOOL

27 people killed in 1989 fire that destroyed school

IT was a feeling of déjà vu for teachers of Sekolah Menengah Agama Taufikiah Khairiah Al-Halimiah, or better known as Pondok Pak Ya, when they learnt about the fire that killed 21 students and two wardens in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Twenty-eight years ago, 27 lives were lost in an early morning fire at the school on Sept 22, 1989.

Principal Azizah Yahaya, 74, said the school took years to rebuild after the devastating incident.

“Memories of the incident came back when I heard the news. We endured years of trauma and sadness due to the incident, and once again, it has happened at another school,” she said.

Azizah said since the fire, the school authorities had taken stringent safety precautions to avoid a repeat of the tragedy.

Besides building a better hostel for students, the authorities taught safety measures in case of fire emergencies.

“After the fire, we received aid from the state Tithe Department, the government and from donations to rebuild our school.

“Although we are not a government-funded school, we receive aid from the federal and state governments to better equip and improve the infrastructure and facilities here,” she told New Straits Times here yesterday.

Azizah, who is the daughter of Pondok Pak Ya founder Yahaya Junid, said the school had set up a fire squad to train students about fire safety.

The squad, initiated by Yayasan Pembangunan Pondok Malaysia, wa s launche d by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in Perak last May.

She said although the school buildings were now built using concrete, regular inspections on school facilities were conducted.

This includes getting the Fire and Rescue Services Department to conduct inspections and giving talks to students about fire safety.

“We learnt the lesson the hard way by losing lives, but we need to protect the students we have now by educating them on how to take care of themselves.”