Cases of falling roofs must be seriously looked into

 

I READ with utmost concern of yet another case of a fallen roof and ceiling of the Kampung Tebauk Mosque in Bukit Tunggal, Terengganu.

In May the roof of the Kampung Binjai Kertas mosque in Terengganu also collapsed.

Although in both incidents there was no casualty, the question is why did the roofs collapse.

In 2009 a major part of the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium in Gong Badak collapsed just a year after it was officially opened for the Malaysia Games.

In February, five workers were injured while dismantling the stadium’s roof after its steel supporting structure gave way.

Another issue of concern is why are so many incidents happeneing in Terengganu, a state known for its charming landscape but now faced with a safety problem in its construction industry.

These reported incidents have brought into question the subject of construction safety which must be looked into seriously by the relevant authority in the interest of public safety.

Suffice to say the latest incident must be thoroughly investigated by the Department of Occupational Safety and Health to ascertain why and how the roof collapsed.

What comes to mind when parts of any structure collapse is the question of poor design, shoddy construction, cutting corners and the use of inferior building materials.

Such incidents should also be investigated by the Public Works Department and the MACC as the issue of integrity come into play.

As this is a matter of public interest I wish the authorities concerned make public the reports of the investigation.

As part of the government transformation it is time that we make it a practice to be transparent in all investigations so that the findings will be made public and important lessons can be learnt.

Those responsible and negligent must be brought to justice.

TAN SRI LEE LAM THYE
National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health