A safety advocate has urged the government to relook at ways to ensure high-rise buildings were safe for dwellers, especially children.
Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye stressed that the element of safety should not just be confined to during construction, but also apply once development is completed.
“This is a serious matter as we have seen more and more high-rise housing being built nationwide. There’s just so much development going on, but hardly any conversations about safety,” said Lee.
“The safety aspect of such buildings must be given top priority… not just during construction, but also when the building is completed.
Lee’s comments came after three children lost their lives after falling from the upper floors of high-rise buildings recently. The three latest incidents were on:
Oct 26
An 11-year-old fell to her death from the seventh floor of a government quarters in Putrajaya.
Nov 16
A four-year-old fell to her death from the 29th floor of a condominium unit in Jalan Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur.
Nov 17
A five-year-old fell to his death from the 16th floor of a condominium unit in Batu Caves, Gombak, Selangor.
Lee also wondered what had happened to the housing and local government’s efforts to implement new safety measures at high-rise buildings following a series of fatal tragedies then.
In 2018, then housing and local government minister Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin said the ministry would look into building safety measures, as the Uniform Building By-Laws, 1984 had stipulated that balcony railings must not be less than one metre high. She said this following a series of deaths involving children falling from higher floors the same year.
In a statement recently, the Consumer Association of Penang also asked what steps had been taken by the ministry since 2018.
“I’m surprised that it’s been three years, and there doesn’t seem to be any follow-up. And here we are, talking about the same thing, again,” said Lee.
“Perhaps the statement by the then minister was just in response to questions from reporters. I urge the current minister (Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican) to check on this supposed initiative … Perhaps it is time for some action.
“This is to ensure that what was said (by Zuraida in 2018) is delivered.”
Lee also said that the input of technical experts was important to balance safety, and the aesthetic value of homes.
“Safety, especially involving kids, is important. But I admit, high-rise housing, including low-cost houses, should not look like a prison, with grilles everywhere.
“Perhaps the requirement for the height of the barricades or railings should be higher. This would ensure toddlers won’t be able to climb over them.
“Also, the barricades or railings should be designed in such a way that children would not be able to put their legs across. These are aspects which the experts can look into.
“We must think about the children’s safety and come up with designs with them in mind,” he added.
Here are Twentytwo13’s news highlights today.
TIME TO STOP ABUSING CONSTITUTION, SAYS DR M
Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad once again questioned the legitimacy of the state of emergency that was imposed on Malaysia last year, adding that the proclamation of the emergency should be laid before Parliament.
“This was not done. Then, Parliament was not allowed to sit. This, again, was against the Constitution,” said Dr Mahathir, in his latest blog posting.
“The (then) prime minister (Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin) gave himself the right to make laws, including raising loans without approval of Parliament. This is against the Constitution.”
In describing the series of events leading to the collapse of Muhyiddin’s Perikatan Nasional government this year, Dr Mahathir wrote:
“The country is (was) under emergency rule. The provision of the Constitution and the ordinary laws are (were) suspended. But the situation in the country has become untenable because the government is not able to deal with multiple crises due to the pandemic, the collapse of the economy, the social sufferings of the people, and the breakdown of the political system.
“Then, the prime minister was forced to appoint a deputy prime minister (Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob). He could not appoint someone from his own party. He had to appoint a deputy from Umno, the party that was rejected in the 14th General Election.
“The moment he did this, Umno withdrew 15 members from the Perikatan Nasional government. The government was overthrown. Since a general election could not be held (due to the pandemic), the MPs had to indicate their choice of prime minister.”
He said the 15 Umno members, whose withdrawal brought down Muhyiddin’s government, then re-joined all the other members of PN and supported the Umno deputy prime minister.
“With this, the defeated Umno became the government again.
“All these actions were legal, but it deprived the people of their right to choose the government democratically. There is, therefore, a need to put a stop to this abuse of the country’s Constitution.”
OVER 6,000 NEW COVID-19 CASES TODAY, SG BULOH ICU AT NEAR-CAPACITY
Malaysia recorded 6,380 new Covid-19 cases today, bringing the total number of recorded cases to 2,569,533 since the pandemic began last year.
As of Wednesday, 5,780 people had been hospitalised due to Covid-19, with 285 patients in intensive care units (ICUs) who do not require ventilator support. Another 251 patients in ICUs are on ventilators.
Meanwhile, the utilisation rate of ICUs at Sungai Buloh Hospital reached 96 per cent this morning. The high rate of usage was due to the hospital receiving Covid-19 cases from other hospitals.
MALAYSIA-U.S. SEEK TO BOLSTER TRADE TIES, EXPLORE NEW AVENUES
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and United States Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo, discussed the potential development of cooperation and opportunities to explore new avenues that would benefit trade between both nations at a meeting in the Parliament building, today.
Raimondo also met International Trade and Industry Senior Minister, Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali. In a joint statement issued by the two leaders, the ministry and its US counterpart planned to collaborate with industry partners on semiconductor supply chain transparency, security, and resilience.
