13 Firefighters Declared Bankrupt Taken Disciplinary Action

ALOR SETAR, March 12 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department has taken disciplinary action against 13 of its firefighters who have been declared bankrupt since 2020.

Its director-general, Datuk Nor Hisham Mohammad said several factors led them to be declared bankrupt, mostly for becoming guarantors to loan borrowers.

"There is also one (staff) whose name is in a company. When the company had problems, like being taken action for not subscribing to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), he was also affected.

“Another is due to credit card debts," he told reporters after the presentation of the Fire Service Medal, the 2024 Excellent Service Award (APC) and the 30-Year Service Certificate here yesterday.

Nor Hisham said while the number may seem small compared to the total of over 16,000 firefighters and officers, the issue remains a serious concern as it could impact the performance of those affected.

"When individuals face bankruptcy, financial struggles can lower their morale and affect their work performance.

“However, we closely monitor salary statuses every month. If any warning signs arise, we take immediate follow-up action," he said.

Nor Hisham also said internal integrity actions were taken against 19 firefighters over the past two years for making inappropriate comments or posts on social media.

"Of these 19 individuals, some received only warnings, while others faced penalties such as disqualification from consideration for APC and medals for six months, depending on the severity of their offence," he added.

--  BERNAMA