Bomba personnel have been working around the clock to fight the blaze which has raged for almost a week now at a tyre factory at Mile 9 here. – Bomba photo

KUCHING (Nov 3): A meeting involving the Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) and relevant local authorities will be called after Mile 9 fire situation is under control.

According to Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian, the meeting is meant to review existing regulations and coordination mechanisms.

“The immediate priority now is to resolve the fire incident involving piles of used tyres at Mile 9, Jalan Indah Ria here, and not to assign blame,” he said when met at Borneo Medical Centre (BMC) here today, after the unveiling of the Halcyon Radiotherapy System and Gallium-68 PSMA PET/CT Scan devices.

Dr Sim said sustainability and recycling efforts remained important, but they must not come at the expense of public safety.

“We all talk about sustainability and recycling, and that’s important, but we must also ensure that it’s done safely.

“The medical industry operates at the highest standards – so why can’t other sectors do the same?” he said.

The state Minister of Public Health, Housing and Local Government stressed that the matter should be managed by the relevant local councils such as Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) or Kota Samarahan Municipal Council (MPKS), depending on the jurisdiction.

“My role is to make sure they follow up accordingly.

“The information was given to me so I could check with the local authority – if anyone asks, direct those questions to the local councils,” he said.

According to Dr Sim, the affected area likely falls under the jurisdiction of MPKS, possibly in the Samarahan or Siburan area.

“The issue involves a fire that caused smoke and pollution, and that’s why I’ve asked the local authority to handle it.

“I only found out about the incident after seeing MPP’s social media posts, which was why I initially thought it was under their area.

“Regardless, I’ve told them that whatever assistance that the Bomba (Fire and Rescue Department) needs, we will give our full support.”

On possible health complaints from nearby residents, Dr Sim said the Health Department would be tasked with conducting checks.

“I can’t play doctor; we need the proper authorities to assess the situation,” he said, adding that some of the affected operations might have existed before his tenure as minister.

“Sometimes, unfortunate things happen. Ideally, these should have been addressed earlier before the problems occurred.

“But there’s no point in blaming; instead, we focus on finding solutions.

“Let the MPKS and MPP coordinate with the relevant agencies.

“We’ll get MPKS officers to visit the site together with Bomba and the divisional medical officer, and brief the media once we have full information,” he said.

According to Bomba Sarawak, 90 per cent of the fire had been extinguished as of today, with overhaul and cooling works still ongoing.

“Sixteen firefighters from the Kota Samarahan and Kota Sentosa stations remain at the scene,” it said in a statement today.