GEORGE TOWN: The nation’s first voluntary marine rescue unit aims to raise RM300,000 to turn an idle rescue boat into a vital lifeline for emergencies at sea in Penang.
Sungai Kluang Voluntary Fire & Rescue Association marine unit operations chief Jack Yeoh said the funds raised would be used to refurbish one of the three boats owned by the association, which is currently not seaworthy.
The boat, he added, was the largest of the three and needed to be fitted with two engines, a cabin, a water cannon, a powerful pump and other rescue equipment.
“The two engines alone would cost about RM90,000.
“The two smaller boats require us to manually load the floating pump, ropes and other rescue equipment onto the boats at the jetty before every operation.
“With the larger boat, the equipment can be kept on board, allowing us to launch immediately,” he said at the launch of the unit yesterday.
At present, he added, the unit had to rely on portable floating pumps, harnesses and other rescue equipment and needed a more capable boat to improve its operational readiness.
“It would be especially useful for fighting fires involving boats or along the coast,” he noted.
Yeoh said the association’s volunteer fire brigade currently had about 30 members and had responded to emergencies since 2022, including attempted suicide rescues and fires.
Meanwhile, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, who officiated the unit, said the state government had allocated RM50,000 to support the association’s operations.
He noted that the state government also provided a site for the marine unit’s station through a Temporary Occupation Licence.
Chow hoped the new unit would serve as both an operations base and training centre, attracting more young people to volunteer and strengthening water rescuing skills.
