Global Courant 2023-05-22 10:20:00
PETALING JAYA – A fire broke out on Monday at the former Employees Provident Fund (EPF) building on Jalan Gasing, Petaling Jaya.
The building, which was partially destroyed by a fire five years ago, is located next to the Federal Highway that connects Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, to the suburbs of Petaling Jaya and the Selangor capital of Shah Alam.
The Selangor Fire and Rescue Department said it received an emergency call at 10:37 am and sent firefighters from Petaling Jaya, Damansara, Penchala and Puchong fire stations to the scene, Malaysiakini reported.
The Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Service also assisted in the operation.
“The fire occurred on the fourth and fifth floors of the building and firefighters successfully contained the blaze at 11:08 a.m.,” said Selangor Fire and Rescue Department assistant director Hafisham Mohd Noor.
The EPF is Malaysia’s largest pension fund. In a statement, it said the building is “currently empty and unoccupied” so no injuries were reported.
EPF said it will investigate the cause of the fire.
The same building caught fire in February 2018. There were no casualties, but 40 percent of the building was damaged.
The 2018 fire was caused by a spark igniting illegal combustible cladding panels on the outside of the building, The Star reported.
An official confirmed that it was the first fire with combustible cladding panels in Malaysia at the time.
