THE Penang government today said it will take action against any tahfiz institution in the state that fails to meet fire safety guidelines.

The warning came following the predawn fire at Pusat Tahfiz Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah in Jalan Datuk Keramat, Kuala Lumpur today that killed 23 people.

Penang religious affairs executive councillor Abdul Malik Abul Kassim said the state had instructed all tahfiz institutions in the state to boost the safety at their premises, including fire prevention.

“We will take strict action against any school that neglects the safety of their charges, including revoking their approvals and shutting them down.

“This stern move is for the safety of the children and to preserve the reputation of Islamic education institutions,” he said in a statement today.

Malik also said the Penang Islamic Affairs Department, the local authorities and the state Fire and Rescue Department would meet tahfiz school administrators for a special briefing soon.

The 5.10am fire in the tahfiz school in Kuala Lumpur killed 21 students aged 11 to 17 and two wardens, while 14 other students escaped.

All the bodies were found burnt near the windows. The victims were believed to have been trapped by locked windows and a partition that was not in the original building plans.

The Fire and Rescue Department is investigating the possibility that the fire was caused by mischief.

The tahfiz school had been operating without certification from local authorities, said Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Noh Omar. – September 14, 2017.