PUTRAJAYA: The Fire and Rescue Department will receive 15,000 new fireproof suits after the Aidilfitri celebration, according to Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin.
She said tests conducted on the initial batch of 6,000 fireproof suits at a laboratory in Manchester, United Kingdom found them safe for use.
She added that the department is expected to distribute 6,000 suits together with another 9,000 which were to be bought through a new tender process next month.
“We will release them to all fire stations nationwide after Hari Raya,” she told reporters after launching the department’s Safety Campaign and Ops Raya 2019, here today.
According to Zuraida, the tests showed that the fireproof suits are safe to use, therefore, she wanted to rectify earlier media reports that nine fire stations nationwide were short of fireproof suits because none had been purchased since 2017.
It was reported earlier that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) was trying to establish whether the 6,000 fireproof suits purchased in 2016 worth RM13.5 million were indeed flame-proof.
Zuraida said the ministry had sent two randomly picked suits from the 6,000 fireproof suits to be tested by the lab in Manchester, which is accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service.
The tests were to ensure the suits followed the correct specifications as per the agreement with the vendor, she said.
Zuraida said the department will put 10,000 of its personnel on standby during the Aidilfitri festive season, and that only 20% of 14,000 firefighters nationwide are allowed to go on leave during this period.
“The Fire and Rescue Department played an important role during each Aidilfitri festive season. For this year, one video clip is being launched to educate the public on ways to save themselves and put out fires during emergencies,” she added. - Bernama
