SHAH ALAM: The Fire Service Act 1988 will be reviewed to provide a more severe penalty for offenders who misuse fire hydrants, said Minister of Local Government Development (KPKT) Nga Kor Ming.
He said under the existing provision in the law, a compound between RM100 and RM500 would be imposed on offenders.
“I think the compound amount is not sufficient to send a message...it (punishment) must serve as a deterrent... We will review the law, increase the amount of the compound, including prosecuting the culprits in court,” he told at a press conference after the presentation of the excellent service award and medals to the ministry staff here today.
Last May 11, the Kelantan JBPM, in a statement, said that a contractor had been fined RM100 for misusing the fire hydrant.
This was in relation to Rantau Panjang Member of Parliament Datuk Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff ‘s move in channeling water from a fire hydrant to a tanker for distribution to her constituents during a water shortage.
Siti Zailah, however, denied that she stole water from the fire hydrant, instead claimed that she had obtained permission from Air Kelantan Sdn Bhd (AKSB) and the Kelantan Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) to do so.
Meanwhile, regarding the issue of poor maintenance and low cleanliness level of low-cost flats in Johor, Nga said the matter would be resolved within two days.
The matter was raised by the Sultan of Johor where His Majesty had expressed his disappointment with the lack of cleanliness at low-cost flats in the state. - Bernama
