LUMUT: They may be busy attending to daily operations and cases but this has not stopped 54 officers and personnel of the Seri Manjung Fire and Rescue Station here from cultivating various species of herbs and vegetables in the station compound.
The 1.6-hectare fire station, which was once planted with ornamental trees as the main landscape, is now adorned with a variety of fruit and vegetable crops, such as ‘pak choi’, pineapple, beans and milk melon.
In addition, there are also herbal plants that are difficult to find such as tongkat ali, ‘setawar hutan’, ‘lemuju’, ‘beruas’, ‘bunga gincu’, ‘bisa ular’, ‘gandarusa’ and cashews.
According to Seri Manjung Fire and Rescue Station chief, Shuib Idris, the farming activity is an initiative started since the Movement Control Order (MCO) last year, utilising the land around the station and setting an example to the local community.
“Besides, this gardening activity is also more for keeping fit, to avoid stress while on duty and as a therapy that gives peace of mind,” he told reporters at the station.
Shuib said the activity was also included in the members’ daily work schedule to ensure that the plants were well cared for, apart from strengthening the relationship between the fire personnel.
Until now crops such as bananas, peanuts and milk melon have been harvested almost four times and all the crops are grown organically, without incurring high costs, he added.
“All the saplings are donations from the station staff. They bring it from their respective homes and plant it here to share together. If there is a surplus of crops such as bananas, we sell and the proceeds are used to buy fertilisers,” he said.
Shuib said they are planning to make the Seri Manjung fire station a tourist station, by also providing space for selfies and galleries, to encourage the public to visit the station, and in the process find out more about the duties of firefighters. — Bernama
