Safety and security seminar for Tahfiz schools

IPOH: The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) chairman Lee Lam Thye hopes a seminar on safety and security for Tahfiz schools can boost the level of protection at such premises throughout the country.
Lee said the 'OSH for Tahfiz' seminar focuses on the operators, administrators, principals, teachers and staff of religious schools and Tahfiz schools.
About 1,000 representatives from various government agencies, religious schools and Tahfiz throughout the country are expected to participate in the seminar tomorrow in Bagan Datok.
Lee commented that Tahfiz schools were exposed to various safety risks including fires and accidents that could cause injuries and deaths.
"Among the incidents we could not forget were the fire that killed 27 students at Sekolah Agama Rakyat Taufiqiah al-Khairiah al-Halimiah or Pondok Pak Ya, in Yan, Kedah in 1989 and the fire at Pusat Tahfiz Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah at Jalan Keramat Ujung, Kuala Lumpur on Sep 14, 2017 which killed 21 students and two teachers," he elaborated.
Following the incident at Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah, the government had set up a high-level committee on Tahfiz schools task force, which is chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Zahid, who is also the Bagan Datuk MP will officiate the national-level seminar and launch the OSH for Tahfiz guideline book to help religious education institutions increase the level of safety and health at their respective premises.
The 'OSH for Tahfiz' seminar began with the Selangor state-level programme in October 2017 and similar programmes will be held in Johor, March, Kedah in April, Terengganu in May and Sabah in July.