GEORGE TOWN – Some 30% of 8,300 public and commercial buildings inspected by the Fire and Rescue Department (FRD) do not have a fire certificate (FC) as required by law.
FRD 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% 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 want safety aspects to be compromised. This can lead to loss of lives, not just assets,” he told reporters after officiating at the 2021 Penang FRD Excellence Service Awards (APC) here today.
Hamdan said if building owners still failed to obtain the FCs, they could 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, August 16, 2022
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