Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi on Saturday urged the management of pondok schools to cooperate with Fire and Rescue Department personnel who make inspection visits to their premises.

He said the presence of firemen was not to deliberately find faults or to penalise the premises'' owners who did not adhere to the stipulated regulations, but to prevent any untoward incidents.

"Try to get rid of the silo mentality, we should think outside the box. If the firemen come, give them your cooperation," he said when launching the formation of the Pondok Fire Squad (north zone) at Sekolah Menengah Agama Irshafdiah Addiniah here on Saturday.

The Pondok Fire Squad, established by the Islamic Schools Development Foundation and Malaysia Fire and Rescue Department, plays the role of a small agent in disseminating information on fire safety and prevention to the pondok school community.

Through the cooperation themed ''The Pondok is Safe with Pondok Fire Squad'', the pondok school management, teachers and students, are given information on fire safety and fire-fighting techniques, use of fire-fighting equipment, as well as theory and practical training in facing emergency situations or disasters.

Ahmad Zahid also said that the federal government always strived to safeguard and uplift religious institutions and schools, including pondok schools, although some were under the state governments'' administration.

He said the government''s care and concern for these institutions was proven with the Malaysia Islamic Development Department (Jakim) having so far spent RM388 million for Quran and Fardhu Ain (Kafa) Classes, apart from the establishment of the Pondok Fire Squad.

"There are a total of 993,000 students and 32,000 Kafa teachers who should be sponsored by the state governments, but the federal government, through Jakim, has provided the allocation.

The deputy prime minister also assured that he would bring to the cabinet ''s attention the request by Malaysia Fire and Rescue Department director-general Datuk Wan Mohd Nor Ibrahim for additional allowance be given to firemen. - BERNAMA