GEORGE TOWN, Aug 16 — Some 30 per cent of 8,300 public and commercial buildings inspected by the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) do not have a fire certificate as required by law.
Its director-general Datuk Seri Mohammad Hamdan Wahid said this could be due to the fact that some of these premises had either not yet been approved, were in the process of compliance or had failed to meet requirements under the Fire Services Act 1988 (Act 341).
“In our inspections nationwide involving 8,300 premises, covering government buildings, industrial, commercial, shopping, hotel, and office premises, we found that 70 per cent of them have obtained the FC, while the rest were in the process of getting the certificate.
“Building owners must pay serious attention to the need for an FC… we do not safety aspects compromised which can lead to loss of lives besides the assets involved,” he told reporters after officiating at the 2021 Penang Bomba Excellence Service Awards (APC) here today.
Mohammad Hamdan said if building owners still failed to obtain the fire certificate, they face a fine of up to RM50,000 or three years imprisonment.
He said premises must meet fire risk standards classified under Act 341 and it is important that when an emergency occurs, the situation can be prevented or controlled at an early stage besides preventing massive damage.
“Act 341 is not aimed at punishing premises owners, but to ensure the safety of premises from fire risks,” he said.
— Bernama
