Penang CM confident Bukit Kukus Twin Highway will be built safely
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow believes the Penang City Council (MBPP) will do its best to ensure that the construction work on the Bukit Kukus Twin Highway, Paya Terubong near here can be resumed safely.
He said engineers will take a look at the design of the project and make corrections if necessary after the stop work order by the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) is withdrawn.
“The task of an engineer when designing any structure will take into account many factors. In this case (Bukit Kukus Twin Highway project) includes soil conditions, slopes, drainage systems and others that can help an engineering design the structure.
“So, we are waiting for the response from engineers to react to what the professor from USM (Universiti Sains Malaysia) said,” he told reporters after launching Adventist Hospital’s Automatic Early Warning System (EWS) here, yesterday.
He said this in response to USM’s Landslide, Disaster Management and Soil Erosion expert Prof Dr Habibah Lateh’s statement that the twin-highway project was identified as being risky due to the type of soil in the area that was friable and not suitable for any construction.
Habibah said the State Government had to make a detailed study if it wanted to continue with the project.
Source: Bernama
I am afraid Prof Dr Habibah Lateh is right in her comment. There are precisely, different types of soils even in Northern and Southern regions of Penang island.
The title of this article says “Penang CM confident Bukit Kukus Twin Highway will be built safely”, but in the article, I couldn’t find anything said by YB Chow that comes even close to that. He just said MBPP will do its best to ensure safety.
So, it’s either MBPP has not done it’s best to ensure safety so far given that hillslope constructions during rainy days have killed ~20 people last & this year up til Oct, OR MBPP has always been doing it’s best but their best is not enough to avoid killing ~20 people?? Which ever the case is, if no one is going to jail for this, then God bless all those working on penang hillslope projects.
The authorities are trying to blame it on accidents (in other words, no one is at fault except god), but when you have incidents similar in nature (hillslope & rain) happening within such a short span of time, it tells you it’s “systamatic”. It is a systematic problem, not an act of god. Just like many deaths in Africa that are thought by the locals to be an act of god, are in fact preventable by vaccines.
It is very sad that those whose life were sacrificed do not have the means to pursue legal actions against those responsible, as the gov is not standing by the side of the victims, but rather the contractors. Real pity!
CM please change the contractor if deem necessary, next time select the quality one instead of the current lousy brand ‘cap palang’.
Goodluck to THE STONE project by PLB…
Building roads should be ok, not like buildings but the workers should be housed away from the site….
All along I have been very doubtfull of our Malaysian bred (so-called) “experts” !
Do make a complete and thorough review of their credentials !
@Carlsuelino
I agree with you. That’s why our local allowable hillslope development spec should be much stricter than other countries as we tend to be more “careless” and “don’t care” as well as the “can settle” mentality. Hillslope developments have very very small margin for error. You can do it in Hong Kong or Japan doesn’t mean you can do the same thing here, simply because any minor human negligence or error would have grave consequences. Mr CM, if you want penang to progress and move forward, you should not let those responsible get away this time. That’s how you bring up the standards, that’s how we can implement more sophisticated projects next time. You let the culprits go easily this time, you will spoil our local standards. And pls take a quiet moment………. and think of those who lost their fathers and sons in the incidents.
illegal workers pun denied… CM can trust this project? haha….
Penang is overdeveloped. see how many storeys apartment being built near airport. 40-50 storeys…Giant Bayan Baru also gone with 3 blocks 39 storeys..and many more..what the heck
Will be built safely ?
It is right from the beginning faulty, major structural incompetency ! Who would then risk their lives by using it ? NOT AGAIN !
Now everyone is crying in Penang ? Led by Penang Forum ?
@Penanglang
Penang people are good at crying ? Or, acting ?
Cry out a river then, but never on the Esplanade field !