BINTULU: Safety awareness and regular training must be strengthened within the community, particularly among residents of longhouses and villages to enhance emergency preparedness, prevent loss of life and avoid the destruction of property.

Minister for Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom said that a culture of safety should be instilled from a young age and integrated into daily life, rather than being addressed only after an incident occurs.

According to him, the responsibility for maintaining safety requires the involvement of all parties as accident prevention cannot be left solely to industry players or relevant agencies.

“Safety is not limited to physical aspects alone.

“It encompasses everything, including how we live our lives, especially in urban areas and how we go about preventing accidents,” he said.

He made these remarks while officiating the MLNG Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) Community Programme: Control of Industrial Major Accident Hazards (CIMAH) ITP 2026 held here on Wednesday.

Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi emphasised that residents must understand potential hazards in their surroundings, as well as know the necessary preventive measures and appropriate actions to take during emergencies, particularly fires.

He also reminded the public to ensure that fire extinguishers are kept in good working condition and to know the correct use procedure when the need arises.

For longhouse residents, knowing designated assembly points and evacuation procedures in the event of a fire is crucial to ensuring that all occupants are able to respond quickly and in an organised manner.

He added that a culture of looking out for one another by pointing out potential hazards should be fostered to build a more vigilant and collectively responsible community regarding shared safety.

Also present were Bintulu Division Resident Datu Nyurak Keti and Sarawak Department of Agriculture Director Datu Dominic Chunggat. -UKASnews