Malaysia’s fire safety laws up to date

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 14): Malaysia’s fire safety laws are not outdated, as provisions under the Uniform Building By-Laws 1984 had been updated in 2012 to include new materials, construction methods and technologies to eliminate unnecessary requirements, said Fire and Rescue Department Malaysia Fire Safety Division assistant commissioner Hamdan Ali.

“Life safety is the prime objective when it comes to fire safety and building regulations — under the Fire Services Act 1988 (Act 341), building owners for management is responsible for occupant safety through self-declaration of the fire certificate under the fire regulation. Moreover, under the Uniform Building By-Laws 1984, it is the minimum requirement by law,” said Hamdan.

He was presenting on the topic "Fire Safety and Building Regulations — Is Malaysia Outdated?"

He also noted that as building designs have evolved, it is important to adopt a performance-based building regulatory system rather than just following the prescriptive laws.

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“For example, there needs to be considerations on fire protection systems such as: Do we need a high fire rating or fire compartment if the fire is small? This is a fundamental of a performance-based design and cannot be conducted via the prescriptive code. Today, building codes in many countries are shifting from prescriptive to more performance-based. It uses fire science, fire engineering principles and human science to protect people, property and the environment from fire,” Hamdan said.

All stakeholders should play a part in the prevention of fire incidents, he added.

“If everyone played their part diligently, it will be a win-win situation for building owners, the Fire and Rescue Department Malaysia, professional engineers, professional architects, insurance underwriters and all occupants of the building, which could be you and me with our families,” he said.

The symposium was organised by EdgeProp.my at Hilton Kuala Lumpur.

Gamuda Land was the presenting sponsor while the supporting sponsor was Nippon Paint Malaysia.

The half-day event was also supported by The Edge Malaysia.

For the full coverage on the symposium, read the Oct 20, 2017 issue of EdgeProp.my pullout, which will be available for free download.