Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng made the announcement today referring to the incident in which 11 people were killed, comprising one Malaysian, four Bangladeshis, three Myanmars, two Indonesians and one Pakistani.
“The SCI was gazetted on Dec 21. It is now up to the SCI to set the date of the first hearing,” he said in a press conference at his office here today.
The SCI, which will be officially known as the “Commission of Inquiry into the Worksite Incident at Tanjung Bungah”, comprises former Bar Council chairman Yeo Yang Poh, geotechnical expert Gue See Sew and forensic geotechnical engineer from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Ramli Nasir.
Yeo, who will lead the SCI as chairman, is currently the Penang Appeals Board chairman, while Gue is the key person in advising on the rehabilitation of the illegally-cleared Bukit Relau in 2013.
Lim also announced the six terms of reference (TOR) for the SCI as follows:
– To enquire into the cause or causes of the failure of temporary structures in the worksite incident, including whether the cause or causes were related to the nearby quarry.
– To enquire into whether the failure of said temporary structures, the resulting deaths and injuries, were due to any negligence, recklessness, breach of professional or legal duty, misconduct, or deliberate act or omission on the part of any person, company or authority.
– To recommend any appropriate legal or other action, if necessary, which ought to be taken against any person, company or authority found to be responsible for the failure and loss of lives, and injuries.
– To enquire into whether all necessary approvals for or in respect of the project at the construction site had been properly applied for and obtained in accordance with the applicable laws.
– To recommend any appropriate measures, changes or improvements to the relevant processes and procedures, that ought to be taken or made by any authority or by any other party in order to prevent or avoid the recurrence of similar incidents.
– To make any further or other findings that may be related or incidental to any or all of the above matters.
Lim had previously said the SCI will follow the same format as those set up for the Menara Umno building antennae collapse and the Second Penang Bridge ramp collapse in 2013, that claimed the lives of three people.
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