KUCHING: Seven premises in Sarawak have been charged in court under the Fire Services Act 1988 (Act 341) this year.
Deputy Minister of Public Health, Housing, and Local Government Datuk Michael Tiang Ming Tee urged premises which have yet to register under the act to do so promptly to avoid legal action.
This was the response from Sarawak acting director of Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) cum assistant commissioner Tiong Ling Lii, who revealed that the seven premises had not registered for the fire certificate under the act.
Tiang added that the registration is open year-round and is mandatory, with applications directed to the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba).
“And my ministry will continue to support Bomba in assisting premise owners with the registration process.
“This is because Bomba is an agency related to my Ministry,” he said during a press conference after officiating at the 2024 Fire Safety Organisation Seminar for Designated Premises at the Imperial Hotel here today.
He added that there are a total of 493 designated premises across Sarawak in 2024.
“Of these, 67 are government agencies, while 426 are designated private agency premises.
“Out of the total number of designated premises, 63 per cent have valid fire certificates, while the remaining 37 per cent either have expired fire certificates, FC6 notices, FC7 notices, have not applied for fire certificates, or are still in the process of applying for fire certificates,” he said.
Speaking on the seminar, Tiang said the objective is to inform the participants on the act.
“If any owner, occupant, or person with full management over a designated premise fails to comply with the section, they may be liable to a fine not exceeding fifty thousand ringgit (RM50,000), imprisonment not exceeding five (5) years, or both.
“The enforcement of Act 341 and any adopted regulations establishes the requirements for fire safety measures within buildings. The government also mandates that buildings and public spaces undergo regular fire safety inspections to ensure compliance with these regulations, thereby reducing losses caused by fires.
“The implementation of fire safety regulations and standards by the government has also made significant contributions to improving fire safety in the country,” he added.
Also present during the ceremony was Bomba deputy director-general (Operations) Datuk Ahmad Izram Osman.
