Many tahfiz schools lax on safety, says ex-deputy minister

[superadmin]

PETALING JAYA: A former deputy minister has urged the authorities to ensure that tahfiz schools adhere strictly to safety regulations.

Commenting on the frequency of fire incidents at such religious schools, Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah told FMT he believed many of them did not get clearance on the safety of their premises.

The most recent fires happened last week at two branches of Maahad Tahfiz Assyatirie. On Jan 24, 240 students escaped a fire at the hostel of the school’s Sungai Dedap branch in Yan, Kedah. The incident came less than two days after a fire at the Kampung Dulang Besar branch in the same district.

More than 1,000 fires occurred in registered and unregistered religious schools from August 2015 to August 2017. Of these, 211 were burnt to the ground, according to the fire department.

Raja Kamarul, who was deputy minister for housing and local government from 2018 to 2020, said the authorities responsible for giving approvals must not compromise on safety and the quality of the materials used to build the premises.


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