PETALING JAYA: Fire safety at all tahfiz centres and schools nationwide should be enhanced to ensure the safety of all students and personnel, says Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.
The Alliance for a Safe Community chairman said the NGO views the matter of fire safety at Tahfiz centres seriously as it involves the future of teenagers studying there.
"We hope administrators will prioritise safety for all such schools and centres.
"In that context, we hope the government will allocate sufficient funds to improve fire safety and facilities at all the premises," he said when contacted on Sunday (July 28).
He also called on the Fire and Rescue Department to conduct inspections at the schools and centres to ensure they meet and even surpass the required fire safety standards.
"Such a move will lessen the risks of facing any fire issues at such premises," he said.
Occupational Safety and Health Coordinator (OSHC) training should also be given to tahfiz teachers and staff, Lee added,
"It will instil a safety culture at tahfiz premises and ensure the safety of those studying there," he said.
Lee then said that the Department's statistics show that there are thousands of tahfiz centres in the country.
"However, many of them are exposed to serious fire risks. Based on 1,434 centres evaluated by the Department, 209 did not meet the building safety requirements.
"A total of 639 safety notices were issued following checks on more than 80% of the centres, highlighting insufficient preparedness to face fires," he said.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi previously said the inability to meet the safety standards set by Bomba is among the reasons many tahfiz centres in the country remain unregistered.
He said the issue is particularly concerning, especially if an incident occurs that endangers the lives of students.
"There are 1,199 registered tahfiz centres nationwide, producing 125,000 huffaz, or Muslims who have memorised the Quran. However, there are many more unregistered Tahfiz centres because they are unable to comply with conditions set by Bomba.
"This raises concerns if a fire or any other incident occurs, as we have seen in the past with the tahfiz centre in Keramat in Kuala Lumpur, where many students were trapped in a fire," he said.
