A classroom at SMJK Chung Ling in Ayer Itam, George Town, was damaged in a fire on Monday night, 21 September, with no injuries reported. The Penang Fire and Rescue Department said the blaze broke out while the school was closed for the evening.
Assistant operations director John Sagun Francis said the department received an emergency call at 7.54pm and dispatched 12 personnel in three fire engines from the Paya Terubong and Lebuh Pantai fire and rescue stations. Firefighters arrived at the scene by 8.09pm.
The fire involved a classroom measuring approximately 20ft by 30ft, with estimated damage of 20 per cent. No school activities were underway at the time, Pocket News reported, confirming the school was empty when the emergency call came in. No students or staff were present during the incident.
John said the fire was fully extinguished by 8.40pm, and firefighters conducted further inspections to ensure no other hazards remained at the site. The operation concluded at 9.22pm, he said in a statement on Tuesday, 22 September, as reported by The Star. From the initial call to the end of operations, the entire response took roughly one hour and 28 minutes.
The cause of the fire and the extent of total losses remain under investigation. The case has been handed to the Fire Investigation Officer for further action. PenangToday has reached out to SMJK Chung Ling for comment on the extent of damage and whether classes will be affected.
Chung Ling High School, established in 1917, is one of the oldest Chinese secondary schools in Malaysia. The school operates from its campus in the Ayer Itam area of George Town, Penang, and enrols more than 2,000 students across 80 classrooms. The campus spans 11 acres and includes several multi-storey classroom blocks, science laboratories, and sports facilities. The school also has a separate primary school and a private high school operating under the same name in Butterworth.
Fire incidents at Malaysian schools, while rare, have prompted periodic reviews of fire safety compliance in educational institutions. The Fire and Rescue Department conducts regular inspections of schools across the country to ensure compliance with fire safety regulations.
