Dr Mah to school heads: Report issues involving building safety

SLIM RIVER: School heads must report any issues concerning the safety of their buildings to the Education Ministry for immediate action, says Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon (pic).

The Deputy Education Minister said this was especially so for old buildings that required additional attention.

He was responding to a question on a recent fire in Pedas in Negeri Sembilan where about 10 hostel rooms and other areas at SMKA Datuk Haji Abu Hassan Hj Sail were destroyed.

“The ministry prioritises the importance of health, safety and cleanliness in schools both for the betterment of the students and staff,” said Dr Mah

Deputy Education Minister Datuk Mah Hang Soon officiate launching the ground breaking ceremony for the school hall at SMK Slim.

“When problems or issues are brought to the committee handling health, safety and cleanliness of which I am the chairman, we take proactive action, and find solutions,” he added.

Dr Mah said this at a press conference after the groundbreaking ceremony of a new hall at SMK Slim here on Wednesday (Aug 3).

He added that there were a lot of issues to look into when it comes to old buildings, and not just matters pertaining to the wiring system.

“We look into all aspects, and try to find a mechanism for regular checks on such buildings to ensure such incidents such as the fire does not occur again. There are over 10,000 schools under the purview of the ministry. It is a big organisation,” he added.