KUCHING: Malaysia will look into getting a Bombardier for the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) in an upgrading exercise.
Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin said what Bomba needs is a Bombardier aircraft capable of water scooping and bombing to fight fires better.
“The largest water tank (of a Bombardier) can hold as much as five tons of water with which to bomb wildfires effectively,” Zuraida said, adding however, getting the aircraft is not included in the next federal Budget.
“We (at the federal government) couldn’t do so at the moment because we have other priorities but since we have realised the importance of the Bombardier for the Bomba, we will try to fit it in before the finalisation of proposal for the next federal Budget.
“If not, we will push it up for the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) insya-Allah,” she told reporters at a press conference after officiating at the handing over of fire extinguishers to Bomba at the Bomba headquarters in Setia Raja Road here, yesterday.
Zuraida presented 1,000 units of fire extinguishers to the Bomba Sarawak to be distributed to longhouses in the state.
According to her, although the number of fire extinguishers given is not adequate to assist almost 4,000 longhouses across the state, it is an early effort of the federal government towards effective fighting longhouse fires.
Asked on her ministry’s longhouse policy, Zuraida said she has yet to get an update from Ali Biju who heads a special committee tasked with making proposals as to what sort of policies are suitable for longhouses.
