Govt to use Fire Dept helicopters as air ambulances: minister

KUALA LUMPUR – The Local Government Development Ministry plans to collaborate with the Health Ministry to form an air ambulance using Fire and Rescue Department (FRD) helicopters.

Local Government Development Minister Nga Kor Ming said that if the initiative could be achieved by the end of this year, it would save the government at least RM15 million per year.

The air ambulance service is, among others, to rescue victims from remote areas and road accident cases on highways.

“We can save RM75 million in five years because when the previous government outsourced it to the private sector, the cost was RM20 million per year.

“Now that the FRD is taking over, we can save RM15 million annually. This is another initiative towards the concept of Malaysia Madani,” he said during the winding-up session of the Supply Bill 2023 for the ministry at the Dewan Rakyat today.

Meanwhile, Nga said the total amount of arrears owed for solid waste management and public cleansing (PSP&PA) by several local authorities to Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp) now stood at RM538.26 million.

He said last year alone, the PSP&PA expenditure for seven states managed by SWCorp reached almost RM2 billion, of which RM1.32 billion is from the federal government and RM680 million from local authorities.

“However, the government provides RM10 million for local authorities that cannot afford it, namely whose revenue is less than RM10 million per annum,” he said.

Nga said the total cost of the solid waste management of local authorities differed according to size and based on the ministry’s records, the total expenditure on solid waste management is 30% to 80% of the local authorities’ revenue.

He said the ministry is ready to review the waste management method, and the review of the concession agreement can only be done as early as 2025, with the agreement ending in 2033.

The Dewan Rakyat later passed the allocation of RM1.7 billion for the ministry under Budget 2023 at the committee level through a majority voice vote. – Bernama, March 16, 2023