KUCHING: A fireman was attacked when he was putting out a fire with his colleagues at Kampung Belipat in Lawas yesterday.
Disappointed with the incident, Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department director Khirudin Drahman urged the public not to interfere with a fireman's duty.
He said it was first time such a case occurred in Sarawak.
According to Khirudin, the incident began when a man who arrived at the location during the blaze, became emotional after seeing his ancestral home on fire.
Khirudin said after putting out the fire, the fireman, who was attacked, went to a police station to lodge a report.
"He lodged a police report on the same day at 9.14pm. However, at about 12.45am that same night, he retracted his report after the attacker apologised to him and expressed regret over the incident," Khirudin said in a statement today.
A 56-second video posted on social media platforms recently showed a man getting angry and throwing things around while yelling at the firemen who was on duty.
Not too long after that, another man, who was the attacker, started charging forward and pushed the fireman to the ground.
Khirudin said he was glad that his officers had acted professionally while on duty. He said his men were considerate and understanding of the situation despite what they faced.
"It is important to note that according to Section 51 of the Fire Services Act 1988, wilfully abusing, assaulting, disturbing, hindering, obstructing, or interfering with a fireman's duty is an offence.
"If found guilty, the perpetrator can be fined up to RM50,000 or jailed for five years or both. Therefore, the department hopes such an incident will not recur.
"In fact, the public should support our efforts through fire prevention programmes and other activities as these are beneficial to all," he said.