Only 2m out of 8m homes in Malaysia are insured, the director-general of the Fire and Rescue Department, Mr Mohammad Hamdan Wahid, has said.
Statistics from the Department also showed that about MYR3.31bn ($796m) worth of property were burnt last year, reported the newspaper The Star.
Short circuits from old wiring, overloading of electrical appliances, indiscriminate disposal of cigarette butts, smoking in bed and candles “were the main contributors behind structural fires”, said the report.
Mr Mohammad Hamdan said “low awareness” of fire detection, extinguishing systems and escape procedures aggravated matters.
Allianz Malaysia CEO Zakri Khir said fire insurance is usually neglected as people assume their properties already have such insurance as it is a requirement by most banks for a housing loan.