If you have been following the news lately, you’d have read of PAS MP Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff who has come under heavy fire for using a fire hydrant to supply water for residents in her constituency of Rantau Panjang, Kelantan.
If you haven’t, you can check out our coverage here:
In case you didn’t know, using a fire hydrant for other purposes aside from putting out fires is actually punishable under Section 26 of the Fire Services Act 1988, and Section 58 of the same Act states that it carries a fine not more than RM5,000, an imprisonment of up to three years, or both if convicted.
PAS MP claims she had permission to use fire hydrant
Siti Zailah’s use of the fire hydrant was first done on April 19, where she proudly announced on Facebook that she was helping residents who were facing water supply issues amid the drought season.
However, it was deeply frowned upon by those at the from the Fire and Rescue Department and Air Kelantan Sdn Bhd (AKSB), who said she was stealing water.
In response to the criticism, the PAS MP doubled down on her defense in using the fire hydrant in the latest Facebook post, where she claimed that she had permission to do so.
In the post, she wrote that she was assisted by AKSB and the Rantau Panjang Fire and Rescue Station in providing water for the residents.
There’s no case of water theft as we received permission from AKSB. As for the usage of the fire hydrant, it was done with the permission and knowledge of the Rantau Panjang Fire and Rescue Station.
“I’d also like to thank both agencies for helping us to get water for those in need of it,” she wrote.
Kelantan Bomba chief says otherwise
However, Siti Zailah’s claims didn’t fly with Kelantan Fire and Rescue Department chief Zainal Madasin, who said that it never happened.
Speaking to Malaysiakini, he said that neither AKSB nor the fire department had received an application from the PAS MP to use the fire hydrant.
We did not get any application from YB (Siti Zailah) to take water from a fire hydrant, I can honestly say. There was no letter, not one word asking permission from us.
“I have also contacted the AKSB managing director (Nazmi Ghazali Azmi) and he told me he didn’t get any request either,” he said as quoted by the news portal.
Zainal added that a report has since been filed over the matter.
Whether you’re an MP or not, it’s against the law to use fire hydrants without permission!
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