House on fire: Soldiers to the rescue

LENGGONG, March 14 -- ‘Call the soldiers if your house is on fire’.

Normally, the expression is reserved for the Fire and Rescue team whose reliability and sure-footedness in putting out fires is etched in the public’s minds and nobody would forget their good deed and sacrifices.

However, it is also not wrong if soldiers are also given the same recognition when they help fire victims rebuild their houses with their skills, strength and experience to help give them a fresh lease of life.

This could be seen through the Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) and Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) co-operation in the ‘Jiwa Murni - ‘Baiti Jannati’ programme.

Under the programme, the Taiping Second Squadron Royal Army Engineers Regiment rebuilt a house belonging to military veteran Zulkublii Shikh Othman, 62, in Kampung Rambung, Gelok, here.

The house construction project involved three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, living room, garage and tile flooring.

Work on the house started on Nov 17 and was completed in 50 days with the help of an officer and 22 personnel of other ranks from the squadron.

The project involved a cost of RM56,000 contributed by TNB through their social corporate responsibility programme. Pelitawanis TNB headquarters branch also gave electrical goods worth RM2,500. 

The construction was also aided by 70 experts from TNB (Territorial Army) Power Generation Specialist Regiment.

According to Zulkublii, who is now a fisherman, he was informed by the Veteran Affairs Department that the MAF and TNB would rebuild his house, two months after he was left homeless following a fire.

Prior to this, attempts to get help from various quarters met with dead ends forcing him to rent a hotel room for his family.

An overwhelmed Zulkublii told Bernama and Astro Awani at his new home, the coming of Ramadan and Syawal would be more meaningful to him, his wife and four children, aged eight to 20.

Also present at the ceremony to hand over the house key were Energy and Natural Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah, 70th Regiment Power Generation Specialists Commanding Officer and Chief Grid Officer of TNB, Major Datuk Ir Husaini Husin, TNB Chief Corporate Services Officer Mohamad Ariff Zainol and Malaysia Infantry Second Brigade Commander, Brig Gen Mohd Azmurin Mat Khalib.

-- BERNAMA