OCT 21 — The Bukit Kukus landslide is yet another indictment of the Penang govenment’s callous disregard for people and the environment. It is inconceivable that the government has not learnt anything from the the previous tragedies, the inquiries, the representations made by civil society organisations such as the Penang Fourm and the Penang Hill Watch group. What is clear is that the Penang state government has chosen to disregard the information and expert opinions provided by civil society organisations in highlighting areas of grave concern, and instead has embarked on a headlong pursuit of the trappings of development at the expense of people and the planet.
In this context , it is pertinent to recall what the human rights organisation, Tenaganita stated a year ago:
“On International Migrant Day 2017, Tenaganita would like to draw special attention to the situation of migrant workers in the construction sector. Landslides at building construction sites, collapse of buildings and other structures under construction, explosions, safety violations (euphemistically glossed over as industrial accidents) that have been widely reported in the media, do not need repetition. The frequency of such incidents suggest that there is widespread disregard for proper safety measures, training and enforcement of safety regulations.
.., migrant workers in the construction sector often endure unsafe and unsanitary living conditions in makeshift dorms referred to as “kongsi” (communes of workers). These ghettos often consist of makeshift toilets and rooms.. seem to operate outside national and local authority legislation and regulations covering health, sanitation, housing, safety and the like..
Construction sites are also notorious for exploitation of migrant workers and refugees who seek work to earn a decent living wage. Tenaganita has been receiving an increasing number of complaints of non payment of wages by contractors. The system of subcontracting work which is widely practised in the construction industry makes it particularly conducive for migrant workers to be systematically cheated of their hard earned wages, while allowing the main contractors to disclaim all responsibility for the injustices that are perpetrated. The subcontracting system is also used by the main contractor to attempt to evade responsibility for injuries and even deaths that occur at the construction site.
The Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) whose mission is to “To regulate, develop and facilitate the construction industry by inculcating professionalism in delivering quality, productive and sustainable built environment”, cannot afford to ignore the rampant violations perpetrated against migrant workers, because respect for human rights is a core element of sustainability.”
That statementby Tenaganita holds true today as it did a year ago and will likely remain so, unless human beings are placed firmly at the centre of all development.Unless there is that radical shift in thinking about development, loss of human lives, especially those of migrant workers, will continue to be to be regarded as collateral damage in the pursuit of “development”.
As the highest authority in the state, the Chief Mininster cannot absolve himself of the deaths of the workers even if they were caused by the negligence or wilful acts of irresponsibilty of other parties who ultimately still fall under the oversight of the state government.As such it is incumbent on the state government to adequately compensate the families of those who have have lost their jobs, who have been injured or have died. Considering that almost all those who have died are migrant workers, some of whom are probably undocumented, it would be cruel and inhuman to invoke the finer points of immigration regulations to deny them an equitable compensation.
*This is the personal opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
