GEORGE TOWN, March 6 — The Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) is finalising investigation papers with which to charge those responsible for the Bukit Kukus fatal landslide last year.
Penang DOSH director Jaafar Leman said they have already completed the report into the incident that killed nine foreign workers last October.
“We want to bring this case to court so now we are preparing the documentations and waiting for approval from our legal advisor,” he said in a press conference today after visiting a construction site here.
He said they are still in the final stages of preparing the documentation.
“It is not easy to charge anyone in court, we need to prepare and after that, we have to submit it to the Attorney-General’s Chambers for further action,” he said.
The DOSH probe into the landslide was complete, but he said it will not be released to the public.
Instead, he said it was only for the department’s “internal use.”
It is learnt that DOSH also obtained reports from various government agencies regarding the Bukit Kukus project.
If the case should go to court, those found responsible will be charged under the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994.
Jaafar declined to reveal any further details on the investigation or how many people will be charged.
As for the fatal landslide in Tanjung Bungah in 2017, he said one contractor was charged and fined.
The DOSH is awaiting the AGC’s instruction to charge others involved in the incident.
The Tanjung Bungah landslide, termed as a work site accident, killed 11 workers at the site.
The DOSH already lifted stop-work orders for both projects.
Currently, mitigation works are being conducted in Tanjung Bungah, which was originally to build affordable housing, but work has yet to resume.
Mitigation works are also being conducted at the Bukit Kukus construction site and works on the elevated highway have also resumed.
