Young Syefura Othman (PH-Bentong) said firefighters not only put out fires but must also be on standby 24/7 for emergency and rescue operations.
She said low-ranking police officers could make up to RM972 more than their firefighter counterparts in a year.
“I urge the housing and local government ministry to consider revising the salaries and allowance rates (of firefighters) to ensure they commensurate with their duties and are on par with other ‘security’ forces,” she told the Dewan Rakyat while debating the 2025 budget.
Last Saturday, FMT reported about the challenges faced by firefighters in their line of duty.
One firefighter, known only as Ahmad, admitted that he often felt disheartened, particularly when welfare issues appeared to be sidelined.
He pointed out the mismatch between their gruelling schedules and the compensation they received for working on public holidays without any replacement leave.
Ahmad, a 20-year veteran in the service, also hoped firefighters’ incentive payments would be increased from RM110 to RM400 or RM500 monthly.
He added that senior fire department officials had submitted proposals for better allowances to the public services department three years ago, but there had been no positive developments to date.
He said firefighters also received other allowances, including housing, cost of living and public service incentives but when added up, “they are (still) barely enough”.
Suhaimi Nasir (BN-Libaran) said the RM110 monthly incentive was no longer relevant and should be increased in line with current living conditions.
He added other allowances, such as that for firefighting and hazmat operations which totalled RM230, were highly inadequate considering that firefighters were exposed to risks of injury, permanent disability, and high mortality.
He also said the government needed to review the replacement leave policy for firefighters, as they deserved proper rest to ensure they were in optimal condition to carry out their duties.
Suhaimi said while the government needed to be careful with its spending, it should not be at the expense of the welfare of those in the “security forces”.