60 Liawan villages to get fire extinguishers
KENINGAU: Assistant Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry, Datuk Haji Sairin Karno, said he will donate to every village in Liawan area a fire extinguisher as a first step in the prevention of fires.
He said that, in Liawan there are 60 villages that will get this equipment through his assemblyman allocation this year.
“I will also consider application for this equipment from leaders of the Chinese community in this area and this includes public buildings, such as mini purpose halls, or government buildings that require the ‘Sentuhan Wakil Rakyat’ or ‘Assemblyman’s Touch’,” he told reporters after launching the Fire Safety Awareness Campaign in conjunction with Chinese New Year yesterday.
He also suggested for firefighters to be established at higher education institutions and secondary schools in the state, so that they can understand in advance knowledge on firefighting in the National Transformation 2050 (TN50) era.
Earlier in his speech at the event, he described the program as reflective of the deep concern of the Fire and Rescue Department on the importance for every community to recognize the fire safety aspects in their respective buildings and to eventually allow them to take proactive measures to protect lives and property from the risk of fire.
He said this campaign was an appropriate education to the community of the importance of fire prevention.
“We all know that a building will not burn itself, but because of ignorance, neglect and mismanagement and misuse of the building. Fire statistics every year indicate the occurrence of fires everywhere. In fact, in recent times, we often read news about trapped and burnt fire victims in houses or buildings that have been burned. Many factors cause such an event to occur, one of which is that the residents do not care about the dangers of fire.
“If there are dead victims, then we will blame the parties, including the fire department. But all parties should be aware that fire safety is the joint responsibility of the whole community,” he said.
He urged the people in this area to be mindful of such things and to be careful and watchful so that disaster do not come to them and their own family.
According to him, the Fire Department has taken this initiative in conjunction with the Chinese New Year celebration to ensure that the community can assist the department to prevent fires.
He said damage to buildings due to fire was a loss to the country. Assets and property that generate productivity and a symbol of economic harmony can be destroyed in the blink of an eye. Similarly, for loss of life, especially of children.
Sairin, who is also Liawan assemblyman, said it not only affected the families of the victims as these children were national assets that have the potential to advance the country or as future generations.
He fully encouraged the people to appreciate this campaign and continuously raise awareness to ensure the safety and harmony of the community.
“I am very impressed with the rescue agency in the state, especially the Fire Department, on their ability and willingness not only to fight fire but to handle victims of road accidents. In view of their ability, Chinese New Year should be welcomed in a safe and prosperous environment without the risk of disaster.
“With that, I would like to thank the State Fire and Rescue Department director, his officers and team members who have worked hard to make the event a success this evening,” he said.
He hoped the Fire Prevention Campaign will achieve its success and that fire safety culture would be a way of life of the community to make the country safer and comfortable to inhabit.
Also present were State Fire and Rescue Department director, Haji Nordin Pauzi, district officer Haji Yusop Haji Osman, Keningau Chinese Chamber of Commerce chairman, Raymond Koh, department officers and community leaders.