Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng issued this warning against a construction company involved in the state’s most expensive infrastructure project.
Lim told the company to “dream on” if it wanted to carry on with the undersea tunnel project if there was no forthcoming explanation on the crane hook from their building construction site that killed a passing 24-year-old Penangite.
Last Thursday, Chin Khoon Sing, who is from Noordin Street in George Town, died instantly after a one-tonne crane hook at a construction site became detached and fell 20 storeys on her Perodua Kelisa passing by in Jalan Raja Chulan in Kuala Lumpur.
Lim said the Penang Government would not “allow itself and Malaysians to be bullied” by the construction company.
He was referring to BUCG Sdn Bhd, which incidentally is a component company involved in the building of the undersea tunnel in Penang.
“Penang will not tolerate such an attitude. If you have done something wrong, you will have to be responsible for it.
“I want to tell the contractor — no matter where you are from — if you do not have an explanation, please do not dream of getting a project in Penang,” he told Sin Chew Daily after officiating at a function in George Town, Penang, yesterday.
Lim said he told the contractors of the George Town-Butterworth undersea tunnel, Consortium Zenith BUCG, to “pass on” the message.
Meanwhile, Department of Safety and Health Deputy Director (occupational safety) Omar Mat Piah told FMT it had yet to get a conclusive report on safety improvements at the construction site, as recommended by the department.
“Up to now, we are unsure which parties are involved in the mishap. We are in the midst of getting more information on this and we will discuss the next course of action by this evening,” he said when contacted.
Under federal law, the onus is on the main contractor to ensure the safety of cranes at construction sites.
Last Friday, BUCG (M) Sdn Bhd confirmed that it was the main contractor of the hotel under construction, while Harmoni Perkasa Sdn Bhd undertook the construction of a hotel block. The crane is owned by Sufiyan Enterprise.
BUCG had also announced that it had stopped work pending an audit by the authorities and would be in touch with the victim’s family to provide assistance.