By Nancy Nais
MIRI, May 5: The Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) Air Unit needs an additional 78 personnel including pilots, co-pilots, flight engineers, air quartermasters, and special air services (PASKUB) personnel to man their three air bases in Malaysia.
Bomba Operations Division Director Datuk Abdul Wahab Mat Yasin said the department has applied for approval to Public Service Department (JPA), after attending the operational monitoring programme and briefing with K9 unit, Air Unit, Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) and state treasury personnel here earlier today.
“We hope that JPA will consider because our three Air Units in Bertam, Subang and Miri need this manpower to carry out their fire and rescue duties. As for Miri, our Air Unit requires at least 10 permanent pilots and co-pilots,” he said, adding that Miri is the one and only unit in East Malaysia, which has two MI-171 helicopters to serve Sarawak, Labuan and Sabah.
Currently, the unit in Miri has 16 permanent officers comprising Sarawakians and Sabahans.
There are also an additional 12 officers including pilots and co-pilots who are West Malaysians by detachment.
“The additional staff who are on detachment will come here for two weeks and then they will go back to West Malaysia. It means, once every two weeks, there will be a change of crew,” he explained, adding that the need for more personnel should be given serious attention and priority.
Among those present at the programme and briefing were JPA senior deputy director of JPA (Development) Mohammad Razif Abd Mubin, Bomba deputy director-general (Development) Datuk Soiman Jahid, Sarawak acting deputy director Tiong Ling Hii, Miri fire chief Law Poh Kiong and senior state officers. — DayakDaily
