Customers afraid of steel structure collapsing similar to Penang incident
The Star Online, 31 July 2013
Workers carrying out renovation works above Mun Choong Restaurant in Pasir Puteh, Ipoh, in the absence of proper safety netting and scaffolding.
BANK employee H.E. Chan will make it a point to eat at his favourite restaurant, Mun Choong Restaurant, whenever he returns to his hometown, Ipoh.
Ever since June, however, he does not dare set foot anywhere near the popular restaurant due to renovations being carried out on the roof of the eatery that occupied four three-storey shoplots on Jalan Pasir Puteh.
An additional floor is being constructed above the building to house a ballroom at the restaurant, while business is being carried out as usual.
“The steel structure that has been mounted on top of the building looks rather precarious. It doesn’t look safe.
“As much as I love the food there, it is better to be safe than sorry,” said the 32-year-old.
Another regular patron, company secretary Wendy Seow, 27, said many were afraid to dine at the restaurant for the same reason.
“Just a few days ago, I asked my colleagues out for dinner at Mun Choong Restaurant but they all turned me down.
“They are afraid that the building might collapse,” she said.
While some diners have a choice of not patronising the restaurant, others like accounts clerk Christine Choong, whose office is two doors away from the restaurant, has to work in fear every day.
Workers carrying out renovation works above Mun Choong Restaurant in Pasir Puteh, Ipoh, in the absence of proper safety netting and scaffolding.
While some diners have a choice of not patronising the restaurant, others who work at offices located just doors away from the restaurant cannot keep away from the area.
“I worry the building may not be able to withstand the weight of the steel structure and will collapse similar to what had happened in Penang,” Choong said, referring to the June 13 incident where a lightning arrester fell from the top of the Menara Umno building during a freak windstorm, killing two people.
Choong, 57, also complained that the construction works had resulted in loose debris falling onto the vehicles parked nearby, including hers.
“The restaurant owner has also failed time and again to inform us or put up a sign whenever they cordon off the road in front of the shop lots.
“And because the road in front of us is a one-way street and the restaurant is situated at the beginning of the road, vehicles are unable to enter, causing a traffic jam,” he said.
Trader P.C. Lee, 50, said the frequent road closure had caused her to lose out on business.
“Lorries delivering goods to our premises have been unable to make their way in and have to unload goods from across the drain next to the main road.
“It has also been impossible to load goods to be delivered to our customers,” said Lee, adding that it was questionable whether the pillars that were erected below the restaurant building could actually hold the extra weight above it.
A check by The Star showed that there were no proper scaffolding or netting put up around the construction site.
Neither was it properly cordoned off to safeguard moving vehicles and passers-by, including school children attending arts and tuition classes along the same row.
Datuk Bandar Datuk Roshidi Hashim said a stop-work order had been issued against the restaurant earlier this month.
“We have informed them verbally and in writing after receiving numerous complaints from the public,” said Roshidi.
The Ipoh City Council, he revealed, had last year issued the owner with a building permit for the purpose of constructing the ballroom above the building.
“Approval was given to the owner after the council carefully studied the building plan submitted and deemed it to be in accordance with the law.
“However, by not adopting proper safety measures and insisting on carrying on with business as usual, they are flouting the Building, Street & Drainage Act 133 (Section 70).
“They must halt their activities as well as put up safety netting and scaffolding around the construction site,” he said, adding that the matter had been referred to the Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia (CIDB) and Occupational Safety and Health Department (DOSH) for further action.
Restaurant owner Yen Siew Foong had denied that the city council had issued the stop-work order.
She also denied that the construction site posed a safety threat to the public.
“We have put up netting on the side. I do not think it is unsafe,” she said.
