JOHOR BARU: Over 1,600 positions in the Fire and Rescue Department are still vacant, says Housing and Local Government Deputy Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ismail Abd Muttalib.

       Ismail said that this included some 1,610 vacant rank and file positions as well as 55 officer posts in the department.

       "At the moment, only 12,416 of the 14,026 available rank and file positions in the department have been filled.

       "Meanwhile, for professional posts, only 435 out of the 490 available positions have been filled," he said, adding that the Covid-19 pandemic had caused a delay in filling up the posts.

       He said this to a press conference after visiting the Johor Fire and Rescue Department headquarters here on Sunday (Sept 19).

       Also present was the department's state director Datuk Yahaya Madis.

       More to come