‘No cover-up on Kerinchi PPR lift incident’, says FT minister

PUTRAJAYA, Aug 4 — Federal Territory Minister Khalid Abdul Samad said there would be no compromise if it was found there was negligence on the part of the parties responsible for the maintenance of the elevator that crashed at the People’s Housing project (PPR) in Kampung Kerinchi, Kuala Lumpur on Friday (August 2).

“We will investigate and there will be no cover-up. If it is a result of negligence or if the contractors were not doing their job… all these will be exposed,” he said after launching the Fly the Jalur Gemilang campaign in Putrajaya here today.

In the incident, eight people sustained injuries after the lift they were in malfunctioned before plunging from the fifth floor of the building.

Khalid said he understood there was a discussion between the Kuala Lumpur Mayor (Datuk Nor Hisham Ahmad Dahlan), the elevator contractors, the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) yesterday, to discuss future actions, particularly with regard to the installation of elevators in new buildings.

Asked on press reports that DOSH Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya (JKKP) had found that there were about 6,000 lifts that did not have Certificates of Fitness (CFs), Khalid said he was not sure if there there were that many lifts servicing PPR alone.

“As far as I know the (lifts in) Kerinchi PPR, have the CF which are certified by DOSH,” he said, adding that the report may have included elevators in private buildings.

“Where buildings are under the control of the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and the Putrajaya Corporation (PPj), the buildings are under our care. If they are under the care of other parties in terms of enforcement, then it comes under the building’s owner and DOSH,” he said.

On the DBKL’s proposal that the elevator maintenance contractors carry out monthly inspections together with DOSH and JKKP officers on 45 PPR elevators, Khalid said the maintenance system was jointly implemented by DOSH and JKKP  which involved the drafting of rules and regulations on upkeep and repairs.

Khalid said the contractors who were given the responsibility and contract to maintain the elevators in all the buildings under the supervision of DBKL and certified by DOSH and the elevator manufactures. They must be companies with the expertise and ability to maintain the elevators.

“If it is found that the contractor has not been maintaining the elevators properly, then action will be taken based on the investigations conducted,” he added.

On the Jalur Gemilang campaign, Khalid said it was held in conjunction with the Putrajaya Car-Free Day programme organised by PPj.

He also urged Putrajaya residents and visitors to not only fly the Jalur Gemilang on government, business and private premises and also on their private and business vehicles.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Local Government Housing (KPKT), will convene a committee meeting involving all stakeholders to work out a mechanism on how to reduce the incidence of faulty lifts in the country.

Its minister Zuraida Kamaruddin said those involved in the committee included the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the Department of Human Resources, the National Housing Department and the Fire and Rescue Department.

“We will call on all relevant parties to look at a mechanism that can be improved to ensure that all costs are properly managed so that such incidents can be minimised,” she told reporters after a working visit to the Klebang People’s Housing Project (PPR) in Melaka today.

Commenting on the matter, Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari said the state government was constantly taking measures to repair infrastructure including the maintenance of elevators at low cost housing projects, though its Ceria (maintenance and recovery) programme.

As for the incident on Friday, where four visitors to the Kompleks Agama Bandar Baru Kuala Selangor were trapped for 30 minutes, Amirudin said the maintenance of the elevator was under the KPKT as the premises belonged to the Federal Government.

He said this at the opening of the 3W (Wellness, Welfare and Women) Carnival at Dataran Shah Alam, which was officiated by the Tengku Permaisuri Selangor, Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin. — Bernama