At the state assembly today, Lee Khai Loon (PKR-Machang Bubok) said the low fine came as a shock to him. Equally shocking, he said, was that only six visits to similar construction sites were done for the whole of last year by enforcement teams of the local councils in Penang.
“First, I’m shocked with the low fine meted out by the court in a case where nine deaths occurred. Does Dato Keramat feel that the fine is worth the lives of nine people who have perished?
“And with six enforcement visits in 2019, are these scheduled or random site visits? Are efforts being made to make this regular?” Lee asked Jagdeep Singh Deo (DAP-Dato Keramat).
Jagdeep, who is state local government committee chairman, said the contractor and a staff in charge of the road-building were fined a total of RM65,000 for offences under the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994.
He noted that the maximum fine allowed under the law for each offence was RM50,000.
He said the state could only do so much as these low fines were based on laws enacted in Parliament.
Regarding enforcement, Jagdeep said the state was trying out video surveillance cameras and drones, as it was difficult to patrol large tracts of land.
In February this year, the Sessions Court fined Yuta Maju Sdn Bhd and its project director Rohani Razak RM35,000 and RM30,000 respectively for failing to strengthen temporary slopes on the site, which led to a landslide on Oct 19, 2018, Bernama reported.
They were both charged under Section 15 (1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994, which carries a RM50,000 fine or maximum two years’ jail if convicted.
The Penang Island City Council (MBPP) was also to blame, a state investigation committee found last February. MBPP had failed to ensure all the hired parties did their job, with contractors unable to drain 10-hours worth of rainwater which caused the landslide.
Jagdeep added that the road project was expected to be ready by June next year. He said a 1.4km stretch of the road was behind schedule at 18%, while the remaining stretch was 92.5% complete.
Meanwhile, Mohd Yusni Mat Piah (PAS-Penaga) raised the issue of illegally built non-Muslim places of worship. He said there were a total of 59 such places in the state and asked what the state was doing.
Jagdeep said Penang employed an open approach, by talking to those running the places of worship and offering them alternative pieces of land in the state.
Jagdeep was answering a question by Daniel Gooi (DAP-Pengkalan Kota) who had asked what the state was doing to prevent demolition of non-Muslim places of worship as happened in neighbouring Kedah.