Close inspection: Nor Hisham (second from right) attending the Fire And Rescue Department’s annual assembly. — LOW LAY PHON/The Star
PUTRAJAYA: The Fire and Rescue Department head has warned his officers against corrupt practices, saying they will be referred straight to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
Director-general Datuk Nor Hisham Mohamad said he would not compromise on integrity, adding that there were structured plans and mechanisms in place to address misconduct and integrity issues within the ranks.
“Any case involving corruption will be referred to the MACC, while other forms of misconduct will be addressed through disciplinary action based on the seriousness of the offence,” he told reporters after the department’s annual assembly here yesterday.
Nor Hisham said integrity breaches were taken seriously and he did not want cases involving misconduct or indiscipline to drag on for years.
“When action is taken quickly, it sends a clear message that the department is serious.”
The DG said the department had dealt with various forms of internal misconduct, including cases involving gangsterism and misuse of personal bank accounts by personnel, with action taken based on investigation findings and existing disciplinary regulations.
He also said the department was strengthening its organisational values through the introduction of the “Kita Bomba” aspiration, anchored on the Bomba principles – Brave, Ombudsman (Integrity), Merit, Bold Brand and Achievement.
“It reflects our shared identity and sense of togetherness, while the principles form the foundation of how we work, make decisions and uphold integrity.”
On operations, Nor Hisham said false emergency calls showed an increasing trend over the past three years, with 141 cases recorded in 2023, rising to 196 in 2024 and 255 in 2025.
He said the department was in discussions with the Communications Ministry to identify mechanisms to curb the problem without discouraging genuine callers.
He said overall emergency call volumes remained high, with 129,114 calls recorded in 2023, declining to 118,481 in 2024 before edging up slightly to 119,344 in 2025.
Nor Hisham expressed concern over a surge in open burning incidents, saying 3,565 cases were recorded nationwide this month.
He said 2,660 cases, or 74.6%, involved bush and scrubland fires which were identified as the main contributor to the increase.
In his speech, Nor Hisham said the department saved nearly RM6.58bil worth of property in 2025, reflecting the effectiveness of its operations and response capabilities.
“This is a very encouraging achievement,” he said, adding that it underscored the importance of efficient operational management, strong coordination and timely response in preventing incidents from escalating into major losses.
