JAIS Sets MBR Record With 500 Participants In Mosque Safety Training

SHAH ALAM, April 25 (Bernama) — The Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS) today received recognition from the Malaysia Book of Records (MBR) after successfully gathering about 500 participants for a large-scale safety and health training programme at a mosque institution.

JAIS director Datuk Mohd Shahzihan Ahmad said the recognition was awarded under the category of Most Participants in a Health and Safety Training at a Mosque, held in conjunction with the World Day for Safety and Health at Work.

“The organisation of this programme is an important initiative by JAIS in providing exposure and awareness to mosque managements across Selangor on occupational safety and health aspects, as mosques also serve as community activity centres apart from places of worship.

“Safety and health aspects cannot be taken lightly, and through programmes like this, we create opportunities for mosque authorities to understand guidelines, best practices as well as preventive measures that can be implemented at their respective mosques,” he said.

He said this when speaking at the programme held at Masjid Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah here today, which was also attended by Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) director-general Hazlina Yon and the mosque’s grand imam Datuk Muhammad Farhan Wijaya.

Mohd Shahzihan said the training, themed “Safe for Congregants, Perfect for Worship”, involved participation from department personnel, mosque nazirs, mosque committee members statewide, representatives from government agencies as well as university communities.

The effort also aimed to mainstream a culture of safety within the management ecosystem of modern houses of worship, while ensuring a high level of preparedness in facing emergency risks such as fires or accidents that may occur within the premises.

Meanwhile, Hazlina said Selangor recorded seven workplace fatalities from January to March this year, with the construction sector contributing the highest number at five cases, while the remainder occurred in the quarry and storage sectors.

“(DOSH’s) observations show that the number of workplace fatalities in Selangor has seen a slight decline compared to the same period last year. Overall, fatal injury statistics recorded 418 cases in 2024, with the construction sector registering the highest number at 101 cases,” she said.

As the statistics indicated that construction sector is the highest-risk industry, it requires closer attention from all parties involved and she urged management of mosques as community centres to give serious attention to occupational safety and health aspects, including risk management and emergency preparedness.

-- BERNAMA