Death Site Contractor Out of Control?

Remember the building works which had a 2 tonne metal mould falling down onto a passing car, killing one of its passengers Dr Liew Boon-Horng and seriously wounding the victim’s wife and driver?

I blogged on that previously in BolehTalk as Where was the building safety standards? Well, it seems, according to Human Resources Minister Dr Fong Chan Onn, that the contractor had previously received 7 stop-work orders, 9 notices and 3 compounds even prior to the fatal accident. The terrible accident earned the contractor another stop-work order.

Doesn't this contractor frighten you with such a terrible record? And it seems to be totally out of control.

But worse, residents from nearby Puncak Prima apartments complained that work is still going on, to which the minister claimed that the contractor was merely carrying out minor remedial work on its safety equipments. But The Star received information that it was work rather than safety remedial actions that was still on early the day after the accident.

One resident said: “The crane was moving all morning and I could hear sounds of machinery works, hammering and chiselling.” Sure doesn't sound like remedial safety measures, Minister!

According to residents the contractor conducted work even on weekends and public holidays, sometimes until 2 am in the early morning. I have the terrible feeling that this contractor is, as mentioned, totally out of control, either because he has powerful connections or is utterly unconcerned or even unrepentent over the death of the victim that its lack of safety measures had caused, or it doesn't care two hoots about the ministry issued stop-work orders.

I am not impressed by the Minister’s comments – instead he should send his inspectors to check, - but then, would that have stop this contractor, who seems impervious to any ministry’s orders.

Why wasn't the name of the contractor or his company mentioned in The Star? Afterall, it is a matter of public interests.