KUALA LUMPUR: Fires have cost the country and Malaysians over RM1.57bil in losses from January to Sept 25 this year, says Nga Kor Ming.
The Housing and Local Government Minister said these significant losses highlight the need to further improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba).
To address this, the government will allocate RM1.43bil for 27 new physical and equipment programmes and 59 maintenance programmes for the Fire and Rescue Department over the next five years.
"This is a sign of the government’s commitment to strengthening the capability and efficiency of our beloved Bomba amid worrying high amounts of losses from fire incidents this year.
"Let us remember that every effort, service and contribution, no matter how small, can create a significant impact when combined and carried out as one.
"Combined with the dedication of our firefighters, let us uplift the dignity of our ministry, our firefighting force and our nation," he said in his speech at his ministry’s "Sentuhan Kejayaan" programme here on Monday (Nov 17).
Nga also said that the widespread use of the newly launched emergency call system, Next Generation Emergency Services (NG999), will help the Fire and Rescue Department better locate and fight fires before they get out of hand.
"NG999’s ability to detect the caller’s precise phone locations will be combined with analytics to better identify potential hotspots for fires or emergencies in the future," he added.
