Fire safety managers, officers mandatory for 9,451 buildings from April 2027
KUALA LUMPUR: From April 1, 2027, owners of 9,451 buildings across the country designated under the Fire Services Act will be required to appoint Fire Safety Managers (FSMs) and Fire Safety Officers (FSOs) at their premises.
Fire safety regulations in Malaysia will change from April 1, 2027, to require owners of 9,451 designated buildings to appoint Fire Safety Managers (FSMs) and Fire Safety Officers (FSOs). This change comes into effect in line with Section 27A of the Fire Services (Amendment) Act 2025, which mandates the establishment of a Fire Safety Organisation (OKK) at designated premises.
Director-General Datuk Seri Nor Hisham Mohammad stated that inspections in the next one or two years of buildings needing Fire Certificates will require FSMs and FSOs to be appointed and an OKK to be set up. A preparation period of six to 18 months will be given to building owners before full enforcement, depending on their existing certificates and inspection schedules.
The Fire and Rescue Department aims to reduce its workload by leveraging FSMs' annual inspections for Fire Certificate renewals, eliminating the need for physical inspections. To meet industry demands from 2026 to 2030, the department anticipates 6,000 FSMs and 18,000 FSOs will be appointed nationwide. Currently, the department has 13 registered training providers and has issued a tender to increase the number of training providers and instructors.
Upon completion of training, 174 FSMs and 324 FSOs received their certificates in a ceremony at Menara Merdeka Maybank.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
