Motorcycle catches fire at CIQ Johor, rider's wife claims no fire extinguisher nearby, gets refuted by Johor fire department

A motorcycle caught fire at the entrance of the Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex in Johor.

A user on Facebook, Mohd Fuad, shared a clip on Jun. 23, which has garnered close to 5,000 likes and 1,200 shares.

The video showed the motorcycle engulfed in flames.

Riders could be seen trying to go around it.

There were scorch marks on the ground as the motorcycle burned.

Claimed no fire extinguisher

One Facebook user said in the comments that she and her husband owned the bike.

She is believed to be from Singapore, according to her account.

She said she and her husband were unharmed and thanked a man who helped put the fire out.

She said she was unsure about what caused the fire.

However, she noted that there was no fire extinguisher nearby and said the People's Volunteer Corps (RELA) members were slow.

RELA is a paramilitary civil volunteer corps formed by the Malaysian government that assists government agencies in carrying out duties, among other roles.

She also claimed that RELA did not know where the fire extinguisher was.

She said that when her husband wanted to turn on the fire hose, RELA personnel said it was not allowed as it was locked.

She and her husband only broke open the fire hose when a passerby from Malaysia told them it was okay.

She said that when the firefighters arrived, they also questioned the RELA personnel's actions and the lack of fire extinguishers nearby.

She also shared a photo showing the extent of the damage to the motorcycle.

Fire and Rescue Department refute claims

New Straits Times (NST) reported that the Johor Fire and Rescue Department dismissed the woman's claims, stating that the allegations were "baseless".

NST also stated that the motorcyclist was Singaporean.

Fire and Rescue Department director Siti Rohani Nadir also refuted the woman's claims regarding the fire extinguisher and the hose reel being locked.

She stated that all the firefighting equipment at the motorcycle lanes at CIQ was not locked away and was functioning properly.

In addition, the Fire and Rescue Department recently inspected the equipment, including the fire extinguisher and hydrant, and they were all found to have been in order.

Siti added that they received the distress call at 1:45pm, and firefighters arrived 7 minutes later.

When they arrived at the scene, the RELA personnel had already extinguished the fire using a fire extinguisher or hose.

Siti also shared that the Fire and Rescue Department regularly conducts firefighting training with CIQ staff and RELA members stationed at the checkpoint.

The most recent training was conducted less than six months ago.

A RELA spokesperson told NST that despite RELA's main role at CIQ was traffic control, its personnel also receive emergency response team training.

The spokesperson also refuted the motorcyclist's and his wife's claims that the RELA personnel did not know where the fire extinguishers were placed as the personnel immediately helped them.

Top photos via Facebook