Ng999 Teething Problems Emergency Hotline Must Be Improved For Public Safety Says Mca

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AN MCA leader has lamented the public frustration facing the newly-launched Next Generation Emergency Services (NG999) which is said to be facing hiccups despite being launched only recently.
Its deputy president Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon was referring to news reports that the new system was already facing teething issues in responding to emergency cases whereby two ambulances were dispatched to the same spot in Telok Air Tawar, Butterworth, and 999 could not identify the actual unit sent.
“The newly-launched NG999 system has barely gone online yet public frustration is already overwhelming. Within just one day of operation the hotline became unreachable, ambulances were delayed for up to two hours, and a critically ill father was left waiting in vain for help,” he pointed out.
Dr Mah further stressed that these are not minor technical oversights but grave governance failures that endanger lives.
“When people cannot reach emergency services and leaders across the country call for intervention, it is evident that our core public safety mechanisms have been compromised,” he continued.
“As a doctor who has served on the frontline of the healthcare system, I cannot overstate this: in emergency response, every minute counts, and every delay risks a life that cannot be replaced. Since the government has chosen to implement a ‘next-generation’ system, it must uphold a ‘next-generation’ standard.”
According to the MCA leader, these recurring “cannot get through” complaints show this is a systemic issue, not an isolated glitch. The authorities must test under heavy load, reveal the failure points, and provide a clear timeline for fixes.
“An emergency hotline cannot operate on trial-and-error. Whenever the system crosses a failure threshold, backup lines, manual routing, or fallback to the previous system must activate automatically,” he emphasised.
“No caller should ever face silence when they are seeking help.NG999 involves fire services, hospitals, and the police. A failure in any single link can multiply delays. A central command centre is needed to coordinate resources, manual call handling, and emergency vehicle deployment the moment anomalies appear.
“Connection rates, waiting times, system stability, and response times must be made public. A new system must earn trust through data, not slogans. Only transparency will convince the people that problems are being resolved seriously.”
According to Dr Mah, even the best technology depends on competent human support. If staffing is insufficient or poorly trained, the system will collapse under pressure.
“Therefore the government must urgently add manpower, expand training, and increase staffing during peak periods,” he remarked.
“NG999 is meant to make emergency services faster and safer. Yet these early failures remind us that upgrading technology without upgrading governance is a recipe for disaster.
“When the public dials 999, they are not calling for a ringtone. They are calling for a lifeline. The authorities need to treat this with the highest level of seriousness. A system designed to save lives must never become the cause of fear.”
NG999 which began began operating on Sunday (Nov 16) replacing the Malaysian Emergency Response 999 (MERS999) system, is an integrated digital system to enhance resource and data sharing between emergency call centres and central agencies. It aims to improve the efficiency of emergency services.

Last year, Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching said the new system would integrate web-based digital mapping, caller ID, geolocation services, the use of artificial intelligence technology and mobile smart applications into emergency incident management, providing more efficient assistance nationwide. ‒  Focus Malaysia

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