About 50% of high-risk buildings do not meet fire safety standards

PETALING JAYA (May 30): Half of the 8,638 buildings nationwide which are listed in the “high risk” category do not comply with fire safety standards, said the Fire and Rescue Department.

These buildings may be unfit for occupation, according to a report by the New Straits Times citing the Fire and Rescue Department deputy director general (operations) Datuk Soiman Jahid.

“We have a category for buildings which are considered ‘high risk’ due to certain factors... we label them as ‘designated premises’. This category, which includes hospitals and offices, must comply with certain requirements before they can be issued with the Fire Certification (FC).

“Apart from having a function and robust fire-suppression system, these buildings must also have their own fire safety management teams. However, many of them have either failed inspections, or are still in the process of trying to meet the requirements,” said Soiman.

He added that the notices have been served to many building owners because of poorly maintained fire equipment, some even found to be without any fire suppression and firefighting equipment.

Fire safety violations, he said, also occur when a building’s usage is changed citing for instance when an office building is used as a hostel. “It will be difficult for them to meet the fire safety requirements of a hostel. This is because to meet the requirements, they have to incur additional costs.”

Building owners who carry out illegal renovations face imprisonment.