PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department has recorded over 500 prank calls in the past three years, Sinar Harian reports.
Citing the department's records, the Malay language daily reported that there were 141 prank calls in 2023, which increased to 196 in 2024, and rose further to 211 calls this year up to September.
Fire and Rescue director-general Datuk Nor Hisham Mohammad said that although these prank calls were a small fraction of total emergency calls, the continuous increase is a worrying trend that can affect the efficiency of rescue teams.
"Every call to the 999 line is considered an opportunity to save lives. However, when prank calls are made, operational resources like vehicles and personnel are deployed unnecessarily, affecting response times and potentially endangering lives," Sinar Harian reported him as saying in a statement on Tuesday (Nov 11).
He noted that irresponsible prank calls also impact fuel usage, and the physical and mental state of personnel, besides creating risks when rescue teams cannot respond promptly to genuine emergencies.
"The department stresses that making prank calls to the 999 line is a serious offence under the law. Offenders can be prosecuted under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
"In addition, individuals involved may also be charged under Section 182 of the Penal Code," he said.
Nor Hisham urged the public to use the 999 emergency line responsibly and only for legitimate purposes such as reporting fires, road accidents, disasters, or other emergencies requiring immediate assistance.
He stated the commitment to ensuring the new Next Generation Emergency Services 999 (NG999) system functions optimally to replace the Malaysian Emergency Responses 999 (MERS999) system, thereby enhancing the nation's emergency response capabilities.
