Amanah man warns authorities to not skimp on tahfiz school safety

 

Former housing and local government deputy minister Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah is calling on the relevant authorities to strengthen its enforcement of safety regulations in tahfiz schools.

Speaking on the prevalence of fire incidents at such schools, the Terengganu Amanah leader felt that many of these schools failed to get clearance on the site’s safety.

Authorities must not cut corners on the safety and the quality of construction on these schools, he said.

“Some of the religious school owners have (a) limited budget. They cut costs by using low-quality construction materials,” he told news portal Free Malaysia Today.

He added that the authorities must remain impartial in granting approvals to such schools – without interference from politicians or VIPs.

Last week, a fire broke out at two branches of Maahad Tahfiz Assyatirie in Yan, Kedah.

On Jan 24, 240 pupils fled the school’s Sungai Dedap branch after a fire occurred at the school’s hostel.

This occurred two days after a fire had broken out at its Kampung Dulang Besar branch.

Additionally, Raja Kamarul claimed some tahfiz schools have made structural changes to their premises without the approval of the fire department.

“The authorities must do checks at these schools regularly to prevent accidents from happening,” he said. - Mkini