He said the government should compel every Islamic religious school in the country to register with the education ministry or state government to enhance the safety and security of the buildings these schools were housed in.

According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) chairman, once they were registered, the government should make it compulsory that a comprehensive safety audit be conducted at such schools and their facilities on a regular basis.

Lee said the authorities must also carry out annual checks on the safety of such schools nationwide, involving both their buildings and facilities, including the hostels, particularly those over 20 years old.

“The authorities which conduct the audit check must identify the safety level of the school, including fire hazards,” he added in a statement here today.

Twenty-one students and two wardens died in a fire at the religious school, Tahfiz Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah, in Jalan Keramat Hujung here early today.

Lee said there were 519 such schools registered nationwide as of April, but that many more were believed to be unregistered.

He said it was reported that the education ministry found it difficult to monitor and increase the security features at tahfiz schools since most were unregistered.

In the first three months of the year, fires were reported at some 30 tahfiz, pondok schools and madrasah, with losses estimated at over RM1.4 million, he added.