Selangor Journal

Nearly 1,000 skyscrapers found to place priority on fire maintenance — JBPM

SEREMBAN, Aug 2 — Industry players need to focus on the aspect of fire safety maintenance to avoid incidents that can claim the lives of residents and visitors to high-rise buildings in the country.

Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) director-general Datuk Seri Mohammad Hamdan Wahid said Malaysia recorded more than 900 skyscraper buildings including residential that are more than 150 metres high in 2019 therefore it requires fire safety strategy and fire safety defence in a good building.

“In terms of firefighting around the world, external fire fighting is not very effective, internal fire fighting is the most effective. We have to go to the source of the fire to make sure it can be extinguished and controlled and the occupants can get out.

“On average, the construction and planning of buildings in this country comply with the code of practices and the code of standards and laws set by the government. We believe these buildings are safe as long as they are properly maintained,” he said to reporters.

Mohammad Hamdan said there is no problem with skyscraper construction projects as long as industry players comply with the provisions of the law and technical requirements with good maintenance.

He said the maintenance of fire fighting equipment in each building is important to ensure that the equipment functions properly in case of fire.

In his speech, Mohammad Hamdan said the department had issued 11,881 fire hazard disposal notices (MBK) from 9,617 premises inspected nationwide last year.

He said there were issues that should be given attention by all parties including enforcement bodies, industry practitioners, professionals, building safety officers and building owners.

“We don’t want a terrible tragedy that would claim the lives of hundreds of residents or visitors to the premises and lose high asset values.

“There are lessons to be learned from high profile cases like the Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor fire in October 2016 and the Grenfell Tower fire in London in June 2017,” Mohammad Hamdan said.

In addition, JBPM also received 21,300 applications for architectural plans and electrical mechanical plans for the construction and development of new structures and of that number only 12,355 were approved and the rest rejected.

— Bernama

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