by DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, May 9: The Sarawak government is taking steps to make the installation of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) mandatory in all buildings across the State.
According to Sarawak Public Communication Unit (Ukas), Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian said the government through the Sarawak Ministry of Public Health, Housing and Local Government (MPHLG) will hold discussions with the Sarawak Attorney General, Dato Sri Saferi Ali to table a law under the Sarawak Building Ordinance to make the matter mandatory.
“I have asked the Sarawak Attorney General to see whether we can bring forward a Building Ordinance or not, so that in Sarawak, all public places are required to have AEDs on a mandatory basis.
“This is because our number one disease is heart disease and more and more people are collapsing suddenly, that is why we want this matter to be mandatory through law.
“To table a law under the Building Ordinance, I need the State Attorney General because I cannot arbitrarily table it in Parliament and announce it myself since there are procedures and processes that need to be followed,” he said at the handover ceremony of new ambulances to the Malaysian Red Crescent Sarawak (MRCS) yesterday.
Dr Sim added that the initiative will begin with the installation of AEDs in Sarawak government buildings, with plans to extend the requirement to all public buildings once the amendments to the Sarawak Building Ordinance is passed. – DayakDaily
