ALOR SETAR, July 8 — The Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia (JBPM) will hold a meeting with the central agencies under the Ministry of Finance and Public Service Department to explain the justification of the Critical Allowance Scheme for JBPM personnel.
Its director-general, Mohammad Hamdan Wahid said the meeting was to brief the parties concerned about why the application for the RM200 allowance was made by JBPM for its officers and staff.
“The application for the allowance had been made since 2015 and a tabling will be made in the Cabinet but should take into account the nation’s financial status, so we would like to have a meeting to explain why the request was made.
“The request is also reasonable and commensurative with the tasks being undertaken to address disasters including fire, flood and accident as the risks are high and can endanger lives,” he told reporters after a working visit to the Kedah JBPM headquarters here today.
He said if approved, the allowance of RM200 per month would benefit 14,761 JBPM officers and staff involving an allocation of about RM35.4 million per year.
He said this when asked to comment on the statement by Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin on a working paper for the RM200 Critical Allowance Scheme which was ready to be tabled for approval in Cabinet.
In another development, he said JBPM would collaborate with institutions with expertise in modern equipment and robotics to be used in high risk fire operations such as oil tank fire cases.
“In Japan, they have robots that can climb walls to look in closed areas, so it is time for JBPM to expand to the use of robots,” he said.
Mohammad Hamdan, meanwhile, said that the reconstructions of fire-damaged houses and the repairs of old and dilapidated homes under the National Blue Ocean Strategy programme were not halted but would be reviewed.
“The purpose of the project is to help the poor, so it is not halted but will be reviewed in terms of implementation and target groups,” he said. — Bernama
