GEORGE TOWN: The Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MTUC) has called for an immediate halt to all construction works on hill sides and elevated slopes in the state following yesterday’s landslide tragedy at the Bukit Kukus paired road project site.
It also demanded for a commission of inquiry to be formed to investigate the latest tragedy.
Its Penang division secretary K. Veeriah said this was to ensure that such tragedies would not occur again.
He said the MTUC Penang division was told that a stop-work order had been issued at the construction site concerned following an incident last Thursday.
“That being the case, the question that we wish to pose is whether there was on-going work in breach of such stop-work order? If the answer is in the affirmative, than it is our position to demand that the full extent of the law be enforced onto those responsible.
“If the situation is otherwise, our issue is why workers were housed on the slopes when they should have been provided a safe and proper accommodation?” he said.
Veeriah said in their opinion, the latest tragedy clearly showed the utter disregard for a safe worksite culture by employers who must be held accountable for the needless loss of lives of workers.
“We, therefore, demand that a commission of inquiry be formed to investigate the said tragedy,” he added.
Veeriah said given the latest case, MTUC Penang division was expecting the Penang government to re-think its proposed Pan Island Link highway and transport projects.
“This is because we are given to understand that a large portion of the said projects will entail massive work in the sensitive hill terrains, including the Paya Terubong area.
“We admit that we are no experts on such matters but we think the incidences of hill site landslides stand as indicators of the fragile challenges to the existing eco-system of the island,” he stressed.
He also extended their heartfelt condolences to the families of those killed in the landslide.
It was reported that two people were killed, one rescued and 10 others were feared missing after a major landslide hit their ‘kongsi’ homes at about 1.50pm yesterday.
The Fire and Rescue Department confirmed that the third body had been recovered from the rubbles earlier this morning.
The latest incident came two days before the first anniversary of the Tanjung Bungah landslide on Oct 21 last year which claimed 11 lives, including that of the sole Malaysian site supervisor.