Ordinance to be amended to allow for life-saving devices in public buildings

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Dr. Sim (left) signing the plague as part of the ceremony for the AED placement devices at Taman Sahabat, together with MBKS Mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng (centre) and other dignitaries.

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KUCHING: The Sarawak Building Ordinance 1994 will be amended to mandate automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in all public buildings statewide.

Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian announced that the ordinance will be tabled during the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting next year, as promised by the Sarawak Attorney General’s office.

“The AED has been around for over two decades, and in advanced countries, the device is compulsory, especially in public places, and it is about time we followed suit.

“The device will be available in both government and private buildings such as shopping malls under the amended ordinance,” he said.

(Automated external defibrillators are portable, life-saving devices designed to treat people experiencing sudden cardiac arrest).

Dr Sim added that under the amended ordinance, there will be other changes, addressing outdated regulations and planning for the states’s future.

“Our building ordinance is quite old, and the changes are long overde.

“We are not just updating to catch up with the times, but also planning for 2030 and beyond,” he said.

He said this when met by reporters after attending the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signing ceremony between the Rotary Club of Kuching Central and the Kuching South City Council (MBKS) here today.

Alongside the AED, the amendment to the ordanince will also include the introduction of the green building standards in order to align with Sarawak’s climate change aspirations.

“We want the green building index, and with that we also want to include the electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in future apartments.

“Plus, residents living in apartments have face issues of how to get the EV charges, like who pays for the electricity.

“By making it a regulation, we can resolve the issues systematically and ensure future readiness,” he added.

Dr Sim suggested the AED devices to be placed at security post in gated communities for easy accessibility.

“These device are not ordinary items. Because even if you steal it, who are you going to sell right,” he added.

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