KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Local Government Development has announced that the special allowance for volunteer firefighter teams will be doubled from RM1,500 to RM3,000 this year.
Its minister, Nga Kor Ming (pix), said the 100 per cent increase was a sign of the government’s appreciation to the 357 volunteer fire brigades nationwide who work without salary or allowance.
“We will consider increasing (the allowance) again next year depending on the country’s financial situation,“ he told a press conference after officiating the Sri Petaling Fire and Rescue Station, here, today.
Nga said under Budget 2023 tabled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Friday (Feb 24), the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department was allocated RM206.64 million to empower its services.
He said that, among other things, RM46.51 million was allocated for the procurement of equipment, RM18.2 million for the procurement of firefighting equipment and 12 tracker dogs and RM129.93 million for the construction of new buildings and upgrading of existing fire stations.
In a separate development, Nga said his ministry was considering a proposal to introduce and make pre-tenancy courses mandatory to raise awareness and knowledge among prospective tenants of the People’s Housing Project (PPR).
It is an effort to ensure that the housing environment is more conducive, in addition to ensuring that those who live in PPR or affordable housing are aware of their responsibility in keeping their houses clean, including maintaining infrastructure and public facilities.
“The culture of looking after and maintaining public facilities should be inculcated in every user so that everyone who lives there plays a role in maintaining cleanliness… this is one of the characteristics of a civilised society,” he said.
On Saturday (Feb 25), several parties suggested the introduction of the course after seeing the government having to spend so much to repair damaged facilities at the PPRs, such as faulty elevators, due to vandalism. -Bernama