GEORGE TOWN, Oct 22 — The Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) has set up a special investigative committee to study the cause of the landslide which occurred at the construction site of the paired road project in Paya Terubong.

Penang DOSH director Mohd Rosdee Yaakob said the special committee comprises officers from the DOSH headquarters, Forensic Division of Mineral and Geoscience Department and the Public Works Department.

"We have met to discuss on the methods of investigation including gathering of information at the site,” he told Bernama when contacted here today.

He said the involvement of personnel from various agencies including an investigation and prosecution team from DOSH was required as each agency has their expertise in resolving the case.

He said DOSH has three months to come out with the report on the investigation but most likely, with the cooperation of all parties, the report could be completed much earlier.

Meanwhile, Rosdee said every project development must be registered so that the project could be monitored by DOSH in terms of site safety and workers’ safety and health but DOSH does not have the authority to issue stop-work order.

"Stop-work notices are usually issued after inspections and risk assessments have been conducted at problematic project sites,” he said in response to Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) call for DOSH to stop all hillside developments in Penang following the landslide tragedy.

He said to date over 1,000 projects in Penang have been registered and were being monitored by DOSH adding that legal action and compounds could be issued on developers who fail to register their projects.

The 1.56 pm landslide incident has so far claimed the lives of eight foreign workers and caused four injuries while two others are still missing. — Bernama