BUTTERWORTH: The Penang Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) Marine Base in Mak Mandin has been officially designated as the Water Activities Safety Council (MKAA) Centre of Excellence.
This upgrade aims to strengthen the base’s capacity in water rescue operations.
JBPM Deputy Director-General of Operations, Datuk Ahmad Izram Osman, stated that the new status will improve emergency response times.
He highlighted the importance of swift action during search and rescue operations near Penang’s bridges.
“From now on, all water activities in Penang will be centred at MKAA,“ he said.
The base’s proximity to water allows faster deployment of rescue assets.
Rescue teams can now respond immediately without delays in transporting boats from stations.
The centre currently has one dolphin boat, three aluminium boats, and a 39-member Water Rescue Team.
Personnel are drawn from Butterworth and Bagan Jermal fire and rescue stations.
Ahmad Izram also shared drowning statistics from January to August this year.
Nationwide, 196 drowning deaths were recorded, including seven in Penang.
Most victims were males aged between 20 and 30 years.
The MKAA will also serve as a hub for community awareness programmes.
It will function as an information centre and training facility for water safety.
Strategic collaborations with external agencies and NGOs are also planned.
These partnerships aim to support water safety initiatives across Penang.
The centre was officially launched at the Mak Mandin Marine Base today. – Bernama
