PUTRAJAYA: Civil servants affected by last Tuesday's (April 1) gas pipeline explosion in Putra Heights, Subang Jaya, have been granted permission to be absent from work for reasons of general emergency.

This is in accordance with Clause SR.4.2.7 of the Service Circular for Human Resources (PPSM), which applies to the affected civil servants.

The directive was issued by Public Service director-general Tan Sri Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz, via a circular dated April 7, which was shared on the Public Service Department's (JPA) Facebook page Monday (April 7).

The circular is for the attention of all secretaries-general of ministries, heads of federal departments, state secretaries, and heads of management of federal and state statutory bodies, as well as local authorities.

"The government has agreed to grant an exemption to the condition prohibiting travel to the office or usual place of work under the Rules for Granting Permission to be Absent from Work for Reasons of General Emergency," he said in the circular.

According to Wan Ahmad Dahlan, the exemption was granted under two conditions, namely that officers are residents of the affected areas and that they do not have access to facilities that would allow them to work from home or attend the office.

The circular also stated that the exemption was granted specifically for the gas pipeline fire incident in Putra Heights.

"The head of department may decide on the appropriate period of absence from work, taking into account the welfare of officers and the smooth running of services," he said.

The gas pipeline fire that broke out at around 8.10am on April 1 sent flames more than 30m into the sky, with temperatures soaring to 1,000°C. It took nearly eight hours for the blaze to be fully extinguished.

The disaster destroyed 81 homes completely, with structural damage exceeding 40 per cent, another 81 were partially destroyed, and 57 were affected but not burnt, while 218 houses were not affected. - Bernama