PETALING JAYA: Kelantan Fire and Rescue Department director Zainal Madasin says Rantau Panjang MP Datuk Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff did not ask for his permission to take water from a fire hydrant.
"Sorry to say, but she didn't ask permission from the Fire and Rescue Department.
"The application must be in black and white, not verbally, and we have yet to receive a letter," Malay news portal Majoriti reported him as saying.
Zainal added that if Siti Zailah had asked permission from a fire station, she would have been referred to Air Kelantan Sdn Bhd (AKSB).
Majoriti quoted Zainal as saying that AKSB has also denied accepting any application for this purpose.
"It is true that the water is AKSB's right, but the faucet belongs to the fire brigade," he said, adding that they have made a report and would carry out further investigation.
He said the matter would be put forward to higher-level authorities and the Housing and Local Government Ministry.
"We will also request a letter from AKSB," he said.
On Sunday (May 7), Siti Zailah claimed that the Rantau Panjang fire station had approved her request to take water from a fire hydrant for distribution to local residents.
Siti Zailah also said the department had in the past distributed water to premises such as surau and schools that needed water.
"There is no issue of water theft, we help people who urgently need water.
"The water is AKSB's and we have permission from them," she said in a Facebook post.
Earlier, Siti Zailah was accused of using a suction pump to take water from a fire hydrant for local residents as several areas in the parliamentary constituency had water supply issues.
She was criticised by social media users who claimed her actions were inappropriate.
Earlier, Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming said they would launch an investigation into the matter.
"Water from the fire hydrant is used to extinguish fires and not for daily consumption.
"If everyone uses water from a fire hydrant, what will happen if there is a fire? This (incident) should not have occurred," he told reporters after launching the "Larian Bersama Bomba” programme organised by the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department at Sultan Azlan Shah roundabout here on Saturday (May 6) night.
