GOPENG: The Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) of Perak aims to recruit Orang Asli to establish at least seven volunteer fire brigades (PBS) in rural areas this year.
Its director Azmi Osman said the Kampung Orang Asli Ulu Geruntum in Gopeng was the first to have a PBS created among the indigenous community to deal with emergencies such as fires, and rescue of people missing or drowning.
“The volunteer fire brigade made up of Orang Asli can speedily deal with crises before the fire and rescue team (JBPM) can reach the scene because Orang Asli settlements are usually quite far from the fire station in an area.
“The Orang Asli people are also very skillful in the forest, as they are always ready for encounters with wild animals and they are instinctively familiar with jungle paths for tracking, in addition to their strong physical endurance,” he said.
He was speaking to reporters after a ceremony held in conjunction with the establishment of PBS Kampung Orang Asli Ulu Geruntum which was also attended by Perak Housing and Local Government Committee chairman Sandrea Ng Shy Ching today.
Azmi said officers from the nearby fire station would go to the village every fortnight or once a month to train the Orang Asli volunteers and equip them with skills and knowledge to deal with emergencies.
Meanwhile, Sandrea said that with the establishment of PBS in Orang Asli villages, it would be the fastest response possible in the event of a fire, accident or other disasters before JBPM firefighters arrived at the scene.
“Gopeng also has a lot of visitors because there are many tourist areas, so if anything untoward happens, the PBS Orang Asli will play an important role in providing early assistance. - Bernama