Penang CM says Bukit Kukus landslide due to lack of worksite safety

GEORGE TOWN, Jan 9 — The Bukit Kukus landslide that killed nine foreign workers last October was due to lack of worksite safety, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said today.

However, he did not reveal the final findings on the cause of the incident or the people who will be held responsible for it.

“The state exco has decided that before we take the next step and make a decision on this incident, we will have to wait for the findings from DOSH,” he told a press conference at his office here.

He said the state executive council has received a full report from its special committee on the incident that was headed by Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Ahmad Zakiyuddin Abd Rahman.

The Penang Island City Council, which is the project owner of the Bukit Kukus paired road project, had also submitted a full report on its investigations into the incident, he said.

“At this moment, we can’t take any further steps pending the final decision by DOSH, we need to look at their report and decision before making the appropriate decisions,” he said, using the acronym for the Department of Safety and Health.

He said the issues regarding the incident and project such as whether the same conductor will continue with the project or not will be dealt with after the DOSH make its decisions public.

“We hope that DOSH will lift the stop work order on the project as we want to continue with the project as soon as possible,” he said.

Last October, a landslide occurred at the construction site of the Bukit Kukus elevated paired road project killing nine workers on site.

DOSH immediately issued a stop work order against the project and started investigations into the cause of the incident.

Construction Industry Development Board also conducted investigations into the incident.

The Bukit Kukus elevated paired road project was to connect Paya Terubong to Relau.

Earlier, Chow announced a RM2 million annual allocation to five Chinese independent schools in Penang.

The sum, which is for the schools to cover renovation and operation costs, wll be divided equally between the five schools.