PUTRAJAYA: There has been a steady rise in false emergency calls over the past three years prompting the Fire and Rescue Department to warn that such acts are costing lives as rescue teams are diverted from real emergencies.
According to the department’s statistics, 141 false calls were recorded in 2023, rising to 196 in 2024 and reaching 211 as of September 2025.
“Although the number of false calls remains relatively low, the year-on-year increase is alarming and requires serious attention.
“False emergency calls not only affect the efficiency of emergency services but also endanger lives when operational resources are deployed unnecessarily,” the department said in a statement yesterday, Bernama reported.
Based on records, the department received 129,114 emergency calls in 2023, 118,481 in 2024, and 91,096 as of September 2025.
It said such calls create a protection gap when the rescue team is unable to respond to incidents requiring immediate assistance, endangering lives and compromising the effectiveness of the national emergency system.
“Therefore, the public is reminded not to make false calls or misuse the emergency line, as such acts constitute an offence under the law,” the department said.
It also stressed that all calls made to the 999 line are recorded and evaluated to determine whether they are genuine or false.
Making false calls to the 999 emergency line is a serious offence under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, punishable with a fine not exceeding RM50,000, imprisonment for up to one year, or both, as it constitutes abuse of network services.
