PUTRAJAYA, Jan 30 — The Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) has recorded 3,565 open burning cases nationwide from January 1 to today.
JBPM director-general Datuk Seri Nor Hisham Mohammad said 2,660 cases, or 74.6 per cent of the total, were bushfires, while the remaining incidents occurred in forests, small farms, padi fields, plantations, and construction sites.
“This is a big jump compared with (the same period) last year. I would like to remind the public not to carry out open burning, and if you see anyone doing it in open areas, please report it to us,” he told reporters after the JBPM annual parade today.
Nor Hisham said open burning risks lives and property.
“There was a case in Johor where someone wanted to clear bushes next to a shop by burning them, but the fire quickly got out of control and destroyed 18 cars parked nearby. The person may have intended to clean the area, but instead caused losses to others,” he said.
Meanwhile, speaking at the event, Nor Hisham said that over the past year, JBPM had achieved a target of 67.5 per cent of responses within 10 minutes, bringing the national average response time down to eight minutes and 45 seconds from eight minutes and 48 seconds in 2024.
“Our initial target was 63 per cent, but it has now increased to 67.5 per cent. This shows that we are on track to meet the key performance indicator (KPI) target of 70 per cent for response times under 10 minutes by 2030, as outlined in the Housing and Local Government Ministry’s Strategic Plan 2026-2030,” he said.
Nor Hisham said in terms of law enforcement, 21,429 fire hazard elimination (MBK) inspections were carried out throughout last year, exceeding the target of 18,000 by almost 19 per cent, or 3,429 inspections.
He said that over the past three years, 58,628 inspections had been carried out, resulting in 32,445 notices being issued to ensure full compliance with fire safety regulations.
“The passing of the Fire Services (Amendment) Bill 2025 has strengthened the legal framework for firefighting and rescue efforts,” he said.
“One of the key measures implemented is punitive enforcement, with Section 36(3) added for the registration of firefighting equipment, allowing offences under subsection (2) punishable by fines of up to RM500,000,” he said.
Nor Hisham said amendments had also been made to Section 59, raising the compound value from RM500 to RM1,000 for compoundable offences.
“The department is looking at widening the types of compoundable offences, particularly those that pose a high risk to life and property, to send a clear message that it will not compromise on fire safety law violations,” he said.
At the event, Nor Hisham launched the JBPM Strategic Plan 2026-2030, which outlines four core areas, 39 strategies, 78 action plans, and 162 initiatives.
