ENGKILILI, 4 Ogos: Hujan berterusan sejak semalam mengakibatkan dua kejadian tanah runtuh dilaporkan di kawasan Lubok Antu dan Engkilili namun tiada kecederaan atau kerosakan serius dilaporkan.

Pegawai Pertahanan Awam Daerah Lubok Antu, Leftenan (PA) Desem Samuel berkata, kejadian pertama berlaku di tebing berhampiran Rumah Panjang Kampung Stuga bersebelahan Sungai Stuga.

“Rekahan jelas kelihatan di kawasan tebing berhampiran rumah panjang. Pasukan Angkatan Pertahanan Awam Malaysia (APM) telah memasang pita amaran di lokasi berisiko sebagai langkah keselamatan,” katanya dalam kenyataan hari ini.

APM menerima panggilan kecemasan sekitar jam 5.10 petang dan segera mengerahkan tiga anggota pasukan MyAPSA-O Alpha ke lokasi kejadian.

Kejadian kedua pula dilaporkan berlaku di kawasan Rumah Panjang Jelukong.

Bagaimanapun, tiada kerosakan dilaporkan pada struktur rumah dan keadaan dilaporkan terkawal.

Desem turut menasihati penduduk di kawasan terlibat agar sentiasa berwaspada terutamanya ketika musim hujan dan segera melaporkan sebarang tanda-tanda pergerakan tanah atau runtuhan bagi membolehkan tindakan pantas diambil oleh pihak berkuasa.-TVS

KUCHING, 4 Ogos: Sebuah kilang lama yang terbiar di Kota Sentosa musnah dalam kebakaran petang tadi yang turut memusnahkan sebahagian daripada dua buah rumah bersebelahan.

Menurut jurucakap Pusat Gerakan Operasi (PGO) Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat Malaysia (JBPM) Sarawak, panggilan kecemasan diterima pada jam 3.45 petang dan pasukan dari Balai Bomba dan Penyelamat (BBP) Kota Sentosa tiba di lokasi kejadian sembilan minit kemudian.

Operasi turut dibantu anggota dari BBP Batu Lintang, dengan kekuatan keseluruhan 17 anggota serta penggunaan dua jentera FRT dan sebuah unit EMRS.

Komander Operasi, Tiwi Ni’os memaklumkan keseluruhan struktur kilang terbiar tersebut terbakar dan api merebak ke dua rumah bersebelahan.

“Rumah di sebelah kiri musnah 60 peratus manakala rumah di sebelah kanan terbakar 70 peratus,” katanya.

Pasukan bomba segera menjalankan operasi pemadaman menggunakan satu aliran salur bantu mula dan satu aliran sepanjang 300 kaki dengan dua nozel yang disambungkan ke pili bomba berhampiran.

BBP Batu Lintang turut membantu dengan satu aliran tambahan sepanjang 300 kaki bagi mempercepatkan kawalan api.

Kebakaran berjaya dikawal sepenuhnya pada jam 4.10 petang dan operasi ditamatkan pada jam 5.21 petang selepas memastikan tiada risiko nyalaan semula.-TVS

KUCHING (Aug 5): The Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) will increase its capabilities in terms of detection equipment, should a nuclear plant be built in Malaysia.

In stating this, Bomba director-general Datuk Seri Nor Hisham Mohammad also said in terms of the technology for building nuclear plants and also in fire prevention system, the situation is now on a ‘mature’ stage.

“What it means by mature is that we can make case references to existing international standards, or the best practices in the industry. “So in terms of internal security, there are references.

“In terms of preparations, we will refer to countries that already have nuclear plants,” he told reporters at Wisma Wanita here yesterday after officiating at Bomba Sarawak’s medals and awards ceremony.

Nor Hisham added that basically, all firefighters had been exposed to the basics of handling radioactive situations. “We also have 17 special Hazmat (hazardous materials) teams, and 429 personnel who have understanding about issues related to radioactivity.

“Just in terms of detection equipment, if a plant was built, we would need to improve it depending on the location of the construction.”

In 2008, Malaysia formed the Nuclear Energy Development Steering Committee to explore the potential of nuclear energy and in 2009, the Malaysian Nuclear Power Corporation (MNPC) was established as the implementing body for the Nuclear Energy Programme Implementing Organisation (NEPIO) under the Prime Minister’s Department.

However, the plan was dropped in 2018. The government, however, had once again considering nuclear as a clean energy option in the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), presented by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on July 31, with a target of operating nuclear plants around 2031.

Also present yesterday was Bomba Sarawak director Jamri Masran.

KUCHING (Aug 5): Sarawak will soon adopt a new fire safety compliance framework in line with national reforms under the new Fire Services Act, said Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) director-general Datuk Seri Nor Hisham Mohammad.

He said the changes, which will take effect on Jan 1, 2026, will empower certified professionals to take on greater enforcement responsibilities and will mark a major shift in how fire safety compliance is managed across the country, including in Sarawak.

“Currently, enforcement is carried out mostly by the Fire Department through inspections and issuing notices. However, once the new Act takes effect, these responsibilities will be gradually transferred to certified Fire Safety Managers,” he told reporters after officiating the Bomba Southern Zone Industry Lead Body (ILB) Seminar at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) here yesterday.

Nor Hisham said under the new system, Fire Safety Managers and Fire Safety Officers will be trained and certified to ensure compliance within their respective premises.

If they fail in their responsibilities, their certification can be revoked and they may also face fines under the new legislation.

The reforms are part of a broader effort by the government to reduce direct enforcement by 25 percent every three years under the Public Service Delivery Reforms, while encouraging industries to take greater responsibility for their own compliance.

“The exact amount of the fines is being finalised in meetings this week as we formulate the subsidiary regulations under the Act. This approach, known as the ‘self-regulated approach’, allows industries to self-regulate, which is a more progressive step forward as Malaysia moves towards developed nation status.”

As part of this initiative, he said the Fire and Rescue Department has been appointed as the ILB for the fire safety sector by the Human Resources Ministry for the 2025–2027 period.

The ILB, in collaboration with the Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp) and the Department of Skills Development, will be responsible for overseeing training, certification, and auditing of fire safety professionals.

“In today’s seminar (for example), more than 600 participants from the industry community in southern Sarawak registered to learn about the new system and their roles in it.

“The ILB will also act as an auditor to monitor and ensure that Fire Safety Managers and Officers continue to comply with the standards. Any actions taken by them must be approved by the department. If not, it will be considered an offence under the new Act,” he said.

Fire Safety Officers will undergo a three-day technical course, while Fire Safety Managers will be required to complete a five-day training programme focused on building inspections, evacuation planning, reporting, and maintenance.

“These managers will prepare regular internal reports. If the reports are deemed credible, the department may renew the fire certificate without a full physical inspection,” said Nor Hisham.

However, periodic inspections will still be carried out every two to three years to verify the accuracy of the submitted reports and ensure compliance on the ground, he said.

He also confirmed that buildings requiring a fire certificate such as BCCK must appoint a certified Fire Safety Manager.

“For organisations that manage multiple buildings, like JKR Sarawak, we will allow a certified manager to be responsible for a group of buildings, rather than appointing one for each facility,” he explained.

Nor Hisham also said the upcoming changes are not just about enforcement, but also about improving industry standards and public safety.

“This is a shared responsibility, and with the right people certified and trained, we can ensure a safer environment for everyone,” he said.