SHAH ALAM, July 10 — The Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department has deployed 667 assets nationwide in preparation for the potential impact of the Super El Nino phenomenon, which is expected to affect Malaysia from early next year.
Its director-general, Datuk Seri Nor Hisham Mohammad said all state directors have been instructed to strategically position assets in high-risk areas, particularly in the northern states of Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah’s east coast.
“The department has made the necessary preparations, and I have personally met with zone chiefs across the country to review their early preparations before we begin facing the impact of Super El Niño from January to April next year.
“So far, there has been no impact because Super El Niño will occur in the Pacific Ocean. If forecasts for November and December are accurate, its effects will reach Malaysia in January, when northern areas such as Perlis and Kedah typically become dry, causing paddy straw and scrubland to become highly susceptible to fires,” he said at a press conference after the 2026 Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption Dialogue (BiGIAR) Programme at the Dahlia Auditorium, Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Mosque, here today.
Northern states such as Perlis and Kedah are expected to experience drier conditions, increasing the risk of paddy straw and bush fires, while Sabah’s east coast is forecast to see a significant decline in rainfall between March and April next year, he added.
To prepare for the situation, Nor Hisham said the department plans to deploy water tanker vehicles to 183 critical locations, optimise the use of more than 600 portable pumps, and strengthen its aerial logistics with 10 helicopters, which are expected to be operational by December.
He added that they were also strengthening cooperation with the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID), the Malaysian Armed Forces and the Forestry Department to accelerate firefighting operations and enhance enforcement against open burning.
“If there are water supply disruptions or low water pressure, the Fire Department Control Centre will supply water to critical areas and deploy fire engines from other zones in advance without waiting for the situation to worsen,” he said.
In a separate development, Nor Hisham said the department recorded a 25 per cent reduction in disciplinary cases during the first six months of this year, attributed to the implementation of integrity awareness programmes and continuous inspections at 336 fire stations nationwide.
He said that as of June this year, only 15 disciplinary cases had been brought before the Disciplinary Board, compared with 36 cases for the whole of 2025, 43 cases in 2024, and 41 cases in 2023.
According to him, complaints received fell into eight categories - absenteeism, drug abuse, insubordination, violent crimes, bankruptcy, dishonesty, syariah-related offences, and “mule account” cases, which are currently being investigated in collaboration with the police.
“Of the 15 cases, seven personnel received warnings, three had their salary increments deferred, three were dismissed from service, and two had their emoluments forfeited. Every case is carefully reviewed to ensure disciplinary action is taken fairly and based on strong evidence,” he said.
He added that the decline was also driven by intervention measures through special teams deployed to selected fire stations to assess management practices, workforce organisation, and financial administration, thereby reducing the trend of complaints among department personnel. — Bernama
