Fish attacks fisherman in Jerantut

A FISHERMAN in Sungai Tembeling, Jerantut, was bitten in the leg by a fish suspected to belong to the piranha species, Utusan Malaysia reported.

Adanan Nipah, 54, was about to release the 25cm-long fish which was trapped in his net at 10pm on Monday when it repeatedly bit his right leg.

“I caught the fish and put it in a polystyrene container. Then I noticed that my leg had started to swell.

“I've never heard of any fisherman being attacked by fish in Sungai Tembeling,” he said.

Fishing ethuasiast finds rotting body

> A fishing enthusiast in his 30s was shocked to discover a rotting corpse floating in Sungai Selangor near Rasa, Kuala Kubu Baru, Kosmo! reported. The man said the body was clad in T-shirt and shorts.

Hulu Selangor OCPD Superintendent Norel Azmi Yahya Affandi said no identification documents were found on the body.

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50,000 villagers trapped by flash floods

IPOH: About 50,000 villagers were trapped in their homes for almost two hours when flash floods turned the flood-prone Gugusan Manjoi area here into an island yesterday.

In what was described as the worst flood here in the past five years, muddy floodwaters rose to chest level following a downpour that began at about 5pm.

Sign of trouble: Residents of Gugusan Manjoi looking at the overflowing riverbanks of the Kinta River after the downpour yesterday.

All access roads leading to the village were severed when Sungai Pari, Sungai Tapah and Sungai Kati burst their banks and overflowed onto five bridges.

According to villagers, barely 10 minutes after the rain began, the Datuk Md Said, Tengku Hussein, Sg Tapah, Jalan Menteri and Jalan Raja bridges were flooded in 1m of water.

The worst affected was the Jalan Raja bridge, one of the main access links to the village, which caused panic among villagers when cracks were seen along its guardrails.

About 500 villagers from homes located mostly along the riverbanks were badly affected by the floodwaters that only receded at 8pm.

Grandmother Esah Abdullah Sani, 67, who lives alone in a house along Sungai Pari just outside Gugusan Manjoi, said she was lying on her bed when the floodwaters started rising.

Esah almost became hysterical when the waters reached chest level.

“I just stood until help came,” said Esah who was later rescued by Fire and Rescue Department personnel on a boat.

Manjoi assemblyman Datuk Nadzri Ismail proposed that the bridges be rebuilt with curved spans to prevent more floods.

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Two killed in landslide

Thursday December 27, 2007

KUCHING: A 13-year-old boy and an elderly woman were buried alive in a landslide that destroyed nine wooden houses in Kapit.

Rescuers are still searching for two others, believed to be from the same family, in the landslide at Lorong 1, Kampung Baru Cina early yesterday. The search was called off late afternoon due to heavy rain.

Seven people from several families were injured.

Deadly landslide: Workers going through the rubble of a house in Kapit, near Kuching after a landslide early Wednesday. A 13-year-old boy and an elderly woman were buried alive in the mishap. Police are looking for two others still missing.

The dead were identified as Dayang ak Dayak, 53, and Frederick Bradley anak Peter, believed to be her grandson.

The missing duo could be Dayang's daughter, in her 30’s, and another grandchild, a Year Two pupil.

The bodies of Dayang and Bradley had yet to be removed from the rubble as of late yesterday afternoon.

Six of the injured, Emilia Ngu, 11, Ngui Koah Ming, 45, Jennifer Ngui, 17, Sadiah Jambal, 44, Yaw Ah Bah, 76, Yaw Seng Hock, 37, Kong Mee Chu, 43 and Kong Man Huat were given out-patient treatment at the Kapit Hospital.

The seventh, identified only as Ah Seng, 30, was warded.

Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam said the landslide caused one of the houses on the hillslope to collapse, which brought down other houses.

He said the landslide could have occurred as the soil had softened after abnormally heavy rains on Tuesday night.

Danger looms: One of the wooden houses in Kampung Baru Cina perched precariously on the hillslope where Wednesday’s landslide occurred.

Between 10pm and midnight, some 122mm of rain was recorded.

Dr Chan said the houses were built on land belonging to an association and the occupants had earlier been instructed to be relocated to Beleth where approvals had been given to 36 families.

He said other families in the vicinity of the landslide had been asked to move out.

“Welfare aid is being distributed to the affected families,” he added.

About 60 firemen and personnel from other agencies had to wait until daybreak to carry out search operations.

Dr Chan also warned residents in Sibu and central Sarawak to brace for a second wave of floods following heavy rains in the upper Rejang River basin.

He said if the rains continued, flooding in the lower regions of the river could not be avoided, as there would be high tides in the next few days.

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Hisham: Never mind the uniform

Tuesday December 25, 2007

MARAN: Attend school even if you do not have your uniforms on the first day of the new session.

“I am worried as there are students who have said they would not be attending school because their uniforms were lost or destroyed in the floods,” Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said at a gotong royong to clean up SK Paya Pasir, here yesterday.

Setting an example: Hishammuddin (second from left), Pahang Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob (third from left) and Deputy Mentri Besar Datuk Tan Aminuddin Tan Ishak (fourth from left) cleaning up the floor of SK Paya Pasir in Maran yesterday.

He said school principals had to understand there were students who had lost their uniforms in the floods.

He said the Government wanted to see all pupils and students attend school on Jan 3.

“There will not be any punishment if they are not in their school uniforms,” Hishammuddin said, adding that the students should also not be embarrassed if they were without the uniforms.

He also urged textbook suppliers to double their effort to print the books so that they could be delivered on time.

The Meteorological Department has forecasted less rain over the coming days in all states except Sabah and Sarawak.

Moderate occasional rainfall is expected in Sarawak while rain is expected in eastern Sabah in the morning and western Sabah in the afternoon.

The statement said high tide was expected at several places off the peninsula, Sarawak and western Sabah for five days beginning today.

In PAHANG, the flood situation has improved, with the number of evacuees having dropped to 8,807 from 10,172 early yesterday.

The main road linking Pekan and Kuantan is still closed to all vehicles while Jalan Pekan-Paloh Hinai has been opened to heavy vehicles.

In KELANTAN, state Education Director Ismail Mohd Nor said schools would open for the new school year as scheduled on Jan 2 as the situation has returned to normal.

He said all school heads had been instructed to make the necessary preparations.

In JOHOR, the number of flood evacuees in the state continued to drop with only 266 people remaining in seven flood relief centres in Segamat. All roads in the state are now passable.

In ALOR STAR, all flood victims in Kedah have returned home and the water level at rivers have fallen below the danger level.

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Zoo must improve safety measures

Tuesday December 25, 2007

KUALA LUMPUR: Visitors to Zoo Negara had mixed reactions to the issue of safety in the zoo, after a leopard attacked a five-year old girl.

While most thought parents should be responsible for their children’s safety, some said the zoo should buck up in its safety measures.

The star: Manja is becoming centre of attraction Zoo Negara. The zoo been put spotlight Manja clawed young visitor Saturday. Safety measures be seen Manja’s enclosure yesterday.

Jham Shari Muda, 33, who came from Pahang with his wife and children, said parents should watch their kids.

“If all visitors followed the rules, such an incident would not have occurred,” he said.

Daryn Howell, a 43-year old engineer, however thought the current zoo safety measures were not adequate.

“Although parents play a role as well, it is the responsibility of the zoo to ensure the safety of visitors,” he said.

Haw Qian Tong was attacked by Manja, a leopard at the zoo, on Saturday.

She was clawed from the back and suffered injuries to her neck and mouth, and is currently recuperating in hospital.

Prabarkaran Somasundram, a civil servant from Kuantan, said parental negligence was a factor but the zoo management should improve on the existing safety precautions.

“I would still bring my family here, though, because this is our national zoo,” he said.

Zoo Negara director Dr Mohamad Ngah said the attack was a one-off incident, and was the first since he joined the zoo three years ago.

“There are ample safety measures and signs prohibiting the public from getting too close,” he said, adding that the zoo’s safety measures were certified by the South-East Asian Zoos Association.

Citing an example of the uncooperative public, Mohamad said there was a visitor who sat on the glass wall of the tiger enclave to snap pictures.

“When we advised him to stay behind the safety wall, he told us he had paid RM15 for the entrance fee and should be allowed to do what he wanted,” he said.

Mohamad also demonstrated the measures taken by the management to ensure public safety.

A red tape has been used to seal Manja’s cage after the incident, warning visitors to keep a safe distance.

When asked if the management would impose stricter safety measures, he said the zoo would instead educate the public on safety regulations.

“I think this incident will not have a negative impact on the crowd visiting the zoo. In fact, I expect to see more people come out of curiosity,” he said.

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All flood victims to get aid

Friday December 21, 2007

PEKAN: The Government has decided to give compassionate aid to all the people affected by the floods but the quantum will be decided only after the floods recede, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said.

He said the Government had yet to decide on the quantum because the situation in most flood-hit areas had yet to return to normal and there was fear of a second wave of floods striking soon.

“We will decide on the quantum of compassionate aid at the appropriate time,” the Deputy Prime Minister told reporters after visiting the flood relief centre in Kampung Pulau Rusa, where he handed over Hari Raya Haji sacrificial meat to 185 flood evacuees.

Najib, who is chairman of the National Disaster Management and Relief Committee, said the Government would evaluate the flood damage to infrastructure and undertake all repairs once the floods receded.

Test of faith: A Muslim praying at a flooded cemetery during the Hari Raya Aidiladha celebrations in Rantau Panjang yesterday. — Reuters

He said the Cabinet had also decided on the introduction of long-term flood mitigation measures by looking at the overall national development policy with a view to shifting development away from flood-prone areas.

“If development work has yet to be started, we will avert it, and if there are houses in flood-prone areas, we will consider whether to shift them to safer areas or improve the drainage system there, and so on,” he said.

Najib, who is Pekan MP, said suggestions have been made for dredges to be stationed all year round at major rivers such as Sungai Pahang to deepen the waterways to allow for water to flow swiftly and reduce the incidence of floods.

“The sand dug up from these waterways can be sold for development projects,” he said.

Referring to the current floods, which have hit Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Johor and Kedah, Najib said he was satisfied with the management of the welfare of the evacuees and despatch of food supplies to the relief centres.

He said food supplies, for example, were sent to flood relief centres on time.

“We were also able to send the necessary aid to people cut off by floodwaters and who were unable to move to the relief centres,” he added.

For the first time, the Government also airdropped food supplies over Pekan, the district in Pahang worst affected by the floods

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Rice crops not badly affected by floods, says Mada

Thursday December 20, 2007

ALOR STAR: The waters of three rivers in Kedah were well above the danger levels as at 3pm yesterday but the state's rice crop was not in danger, according to the Muda Agriculture Development Authority (Mada).

Sungai Kuala Nerang was at 17.99m (danger level 17.07m) Sungai Kepala Batas at 4.33m (2.8m) and Sungai Jeniang at 27.47m (25.91m).

The floods, however, affected only 1.2% of the100,000ha of Mada padi fields, the authority's deputy general manager (technical) Loh Kim Mon said.

He said a total of 1,230ha of Mada padi fields in Kubang Pasu, Kota Setar and Pendang were submerged in floodwater.

Flood damage: Kampung Semangat Umno head Mustafa Ibrahim (second from left) and several villagers inspecting the village multipurpose hall which has been under water for over a week. The villagers were evacuated to the Penor Prison hall near Kuantan.

“There is a big possibility the padi plants will recover if the weather is fine. This is because the flooding is not due to floodwaters from upstream but because of direct rainfall.

“When the rain stops, the excess water will drain out through existing irrigation canals,” he said yesterday.

Mada deputy general manager (agriculture) Hamid Mat said the agency had taken measures to ensure excess water was speedily drained out.

In Johor, the flood situation continued to improve, with only 1,963 victims in 31 evacuation centres.

At 4pm, Muar district had the most number of evacuees with 971 in 10 centres, followed by Segamat with 942 victims in 20 centres.

There were another 50 victims in a centre in Batu Pahat.

All roads were passable except Jalan Pogoh-Tekam near Sungai Labis in Segamat, which is only open to heavy vehicles.

Meanwhile, a landslide forced the closure of Jalan Yong Peng-Parit Sulong until Jan 12. Motorists can use Jalan Tongkang Pechah-Jalan Parit Jalil as an alternative route.

In Pahang, evacuees at relief centres yesterday were down to 18,542 from 21,363 on Tuesday.

A spokesman of the state police flood operations room said there was a drop in the number of evacuees in the flood-hit districts, except Pekan, where the number rose to 9,370 from 9,313 on Tuesday.

Maran had 2,907 evacuees, followed by Kuantan (1,096), Rompin (1,992), Pekan (9,370), Bera (1,582) and Temerloh (1,595).

The main road linking Pekan and Kuantan at the 19th kilometre, the eighth kilometre of the Rompin-Muadzam Shah road, Jalan Kuantan-Segamat and Jalan Temerloh-Triang were still closed to all vehicles.

In Kelantan, the water level at Sungai Golok receded to 10.13m from 10.17m.

A Kelantan police flood operations room spokesman said the number of evacuees at the 28 relief centres had dropped, except in Tumpat, which showed a slight increase from 2,322 to 2,356.

There were still 6,491 flood evacuees in Pasir Mas, 17 in Kota Baru and 10 in Tanah Merah.

He said Jalan Pasir Mas-Rantau Panjang at13th kilometre and Jalan Tumpat-Pengkalan Kubor, which were under 0.5m to 1m of water, were still closed to traffic.

The 65th km of Jalan Gua Musang-Kuala Krai and the alternative old Kota Baru-Jeli-Dabong-Meranto-Gua Musang road were also closed to traffic because of landslides.

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Floods ease up, but second wave expected

Thursday December 20, 2007

PETALING JAYA: The flood situation in some parts of the country improved slightly Thursday, but the Meteorological Department issued a red alert warning for north Johor and advised other states to brace for the high tide phenomenon on Friday.

The department said moderate and occasionally heavy rain is expected in north Johor from Thursday till Friday.

In PAHANG, the number of evacuees dropped below the 18,000 mark, but in anticipation of the high tide, 3,311 personnel from all agencies have been put on standby.

A total of 137 rescue boats and 167 heavy vehicles were ready to be deployed to areas that might be affected. At least nine helicopters too would be assisting rescue efforts should the need arise.

Up to 4pm Friday, the number of flood evacuees statewide stood at 17,837 people from 3,853 families in 95 flood relief centres.

Pekan was still ahead of other districts with 9,450 people in 39 centres.

The others were Maran (2,863 people), Rompin (2,008), Temerloh (1,257), Bera (1,159) and Kuantan (1,110).

A spokesman from the flood operations centre in Kuantan said there was no new reports of fatalities or missing persons.

“The death toll still stand at 11 people and many rivers had recorded a drop in water level.

“However, the rivers in Pekan district still exceed the danger level,” he said.

All trunk roads leading into Pekan were still inundated with the water receding slowly.

In JOHOR, there were 1,297 evacuees keft in Segamat and Muar.

In Segamat, 602 victims from 137 families were evacuated to 16 centres while 695 victims from 169 families in Muar were stationed at 9 centres.

All other evacuation centres in Johor Baru, Kluang, Mersing, Batu Pahat, Pontian and Kota Tinggi were closed.

The bridge at Jalan Kampung Batu Badak, Segamat was closed to all vehicles since 8pm Wednesday due to a landslide.

Bernama reported that more people were sent to relief centres in KEDAH, with the number of evacuees rising to 2,906 Friday evening from 2,255 this morning after low-lying areas in the lower reaches of rivers began to flood.

In KELANTAN, the situation was returning to normal with the number of evacuees having dropped to 4,840 from 8,613 Friday morning.

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Jelapang Toll accident claims 8th victim

Wednesday December 12, 2007

IPOH: The accident at the Jelapang Toll Plaza here has claimed its eighth victim, nine-year-old Nur Aliya Syahirah Muhamad.

She passed away at the Ipoh Hospital at 8.10am Wednesday, a victim of the 4.09am incident on Tuesday when the tour bus she was in crashed into the back of a latex tanker.

She is the third person in her family to perish.

Her father Muhamad Husain, 50, and 15-year-old sister Nur Syuhadah died shortly after the collision.

Her mother Zurina Nayan, who is Kubang Jawi Wanita Umno branch chief, and another sister Nur Hashimah, 18, remain hospitalised.

Her family was part of an entourage of 35 Wanita Umno members, mostly from Kampung Kubang Jawi in Kuala Kedah, who were on their way to Cameron Highlands.

A Government report on the Jelapang toll crash that killed eight people and injured 28 others would be made public once an in-depth investigation was conducted.

Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Azlan Sultan Abu Bakar said his minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy had, at the post-Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, ordered a thorough investigation into the main cause of the accident which occurred on Tuesday.

A tour bus, carrying a group of 35 Wanita Umno members, mostly from Kampung Kubang Jawi in Kuala Kedah, had crashed into the back of a latex tanker at the toll plaza.

The bus was on its way to visit a tea plantation in Cameron Highlands

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Injured paratrooper Zaliza stable

Tuesday December 4, 2007

ALOR STAR: One of the two critically injured women paratroopers who parachuted into the sea during an exercise for the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (Lima) 2007, is reported to be in stable condition at the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital here.

Hospital director Dr Che Pah Ahmad said that Zaliza Zakaria, 23, who was admitted on Sunday evening, was still in the intensive care unit.

She said that Zaliza, who did not suffer any physical injury, regained consciousness after midnight.

“She suffered respiratory problems after swallowing water when she parachuted into the sea. We have cleared her lungs and she has been breathing normally since this morning,” she said.

Zaliza’s father, Zakaria Othman, 52, said his daughter managed to utter a few words when he saw her yesterday morning.

“She was still weak but she could move her limbs,” he said.

“Zaliza has been a paratrooper for four years. I have always supported her interest,” he said.

It is learnt that the other critically injured paratrooper, Suraya Ali, 23, is in Langkawi Hospital and in stable condition.

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Women paratroopers buried with full military honours

Tuesday December 4, 2007

IPOH: Private Nurul Wahida Yunos and Ranger Siti Hajar Yakub, who were killed in the parachute tragedy in Langkawi on Sunday, were laid to rest with full military honours.

General worker Mohd Yusof Leman remains shocked that his daughter Nurul Wahida was killed in the exercise.

Mohd Yusof, 52, from Tanjung Malim, wants to know why his eldest daughter was even included in the exercise as she was a junior who had joined the army just two years ago.

He said she had called early Sunday morning to tell him that she “could not make it” for the jump.

“I was surprised she went ahead with the jump,” said the former serviceman. He said he last saw her during Hari Raya.

Nurul Wahida, 20, of Kampung Sungai Dara in Tanjung Malim, drowned along with Trooper Raimond Duncan from Simunjan, Sarawak, and Siti Hajar from Masjid Tanah, Malacca.

They were among 18 paratroopers who were blown off course. Some of them plunged into the sea while the others landed hard on the Langkawi airport's tarmac.

Mohd Yusof said her childhood dream was to become a paratrooper. She was buried at the Tanah Perkuburan Islam Kampung Sungai Dara, Tanjung Malim, at 4am.

Meanwhile, it was also a sombre scene at the Jalan Hujan Panas Islamic cemetery in Masjid Tanah where Siti Hajar was laid to rest at 4.20am yesterday, reports STEVEN DANIEL.

Her parents, Yakub Keling, 56, and Rogayah Baba, 48, and fiancé Abdul Suffi Mohd Yusof sprinkled rose water and flowers after the ceremony.

Abdul Suffi said Siti Hajar had sent him a strange SMS two days before the accident.

“If anything happens to me, my jewellery is in a locker at the Terendak Camp, motorcycle key in the machine’s boot and if there is an accident, tell father to claim army insurance,” she said in the SMS, according to the 24-year-old prison officer in Penur, Pahang.

Abdul Suffi said he last saw Siti Hajar in early November before leaving to attend a course in Taiping. They had planned to wed in March

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Three paratroopers killed during mock exercise

Monday December 3, 2007

LANGKAWI: Three army paratroopers, including two women, from an elite army commando unit were killed and five others seriously injured when a mock exercise to seize the international airport at Padang Matsirat here went awry.

Erratic wind patterns during the exercise blew 18 paratroopers off course – some of them plunged into the sea 30m off the airport's runway while others landed hard on the tarmac.

Langkawi OCPD Supt Mohamad Ali Jamaluddin said the dead were identified as Trooper Raimond Duncan, 25, from Simunjan, Sarawak; Private Nurul Wahida Yunos, 20, from Tanjung Malim, Perak; and Ranger Siti Hajar Yakub, 24, from Masjid Tanah, Malacca.

The exercise, carried out yesterday morning, was a full-dress rehearsal for the opening ceremony of the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (Lima) 2007 exhibition, which begins here tomorrow.

The incident occurred shortly after the paratroopers, all from the 10th Brigade Para based at Terendak Camp, Malacca, jumped out of two planes at an altitude of 4,000m at 10.30am.

Army chief Jen Tan Sri Muhammad Ismail Jamaluddin said the paratroopers had jumped from the aircraft within the wind speed tolerance allowed.

“According to the standard operating procedure (SOP), paratroopers should not jump when the wind speed is above 11 knots. However, the wind speed at the point of incident was eight knots. I’d never allow my soldiers to jump if it had been above the acceptable wind speed,” he said.

Supt Mohamad Ali said some of the soldiers were rescued by fishermen who were fishing in the area while the police and other rescue agencies, including the army, launched a search and rescue operation when they realised that some of the soldiers had landed in the water.

Siti Hajar drowned while Duncan and Nurul Wahida died at the Langkawi Hospital. It is learnt that the three dead paratroopers were entangled by their parachute cords.

A source told The Star that the army dive master stopped 22 other paratroopers from jumping after they realised that the situation was unsafe.

The source said 11 paratroopers were injured in the incident including several who landed hard on the tarmac and had their parachutes dragged by the strong wind.

At least three soldiers were injured after they landed on top of aircraft parked on the tarmac for the Lima exhibition.

The soldiers were taken to the hospital by ambulances on standby at the airport.

Royal Malaysian Air Force public relations officer Mej Zulkiflee Abdul Latiff said the accident occurred due to uncertain wind conditions.

He said the paratroopers were part of 138 men and women who were involved in the mock exercise.

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Military exercise mishap at Lima claims 3 lives

Sunday December 2, 2007
MYT 8:32:53 PM

LANGKAWI: Strong winds claimed the lives of three paratroopers, including a woman who drowned during a parachute training exercise at the Mahsuri International Airport here Sunday morning.

Siti Hajar Yaakub, 24, died at sea while her teammates Nurul Wahida Yusuf, 20, and Raymond A/K Duncan, 25, an Iban, died at the Langkawi Hospital.

They were among 160 paratroopers from the 10th Paratrooper Unit of the Terendak Camp, Malacca who took part in the exercise in conjunction with the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (Lima) 2007 event.

Langkawi district police chief Supt Mohamed Ali Jamaluddin said the three officers and 17 others drifted 200m off course and fell from a height of about 300m into the sea off Pantai Cenang during the exercise at 10.15am.

He said five women and six male officers were admitted at the hospital for hypothermia and minor injuries.

One of them, Suraya Ali, 23, was warded in the Intensive Care Unit for broken ribs and punctured lung. Another officer Zaliza Zakaria, 23, who also suffered similar complications.

“We called off the 170-member rescue operation at 12.53pm after all 138 officers who jumped off two aircrafts were rescued,” he said.

He added that the marine police together with the armed forces personnel and fire and rescue services conducted the search and rescue.

Supt Mohd Ali said the team were practising for a performance during the Lima opening on Tuesday.

“The paratrooper team from Malacca usually performs this exercise every Lima.

“This year, the Eastern wind has been somehow quite strong,” he said

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Report on collapsed building

Monday November 26, 2007
MYT 7:05:27 PM

IPOH: The state will make public the findings of the independent board of inquiry investigating the collapse of the RM4.5mil State Park Corporation administrative building at Tasik Temengor.

Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Tajol Rosli Ghazali told the 11th state assembly that the report would be made public as soon as it was completed.

"The state has also given its full cooperation to the Anti-Corruption Agency, which is investigating the incident from the aspect of abuse of power," he said Monday in his winding up speech for the 2008 state budget at the Perak State Assembly.

Tajol Rosli (BN - Pengkalan Hulu) added that the state had acted proactively by appointing a board to investigate the matter.

It had been reported that the board would be headed by state Public Works Department director Datuk Wong Wai Ching with its members consisting of department deputy director Amir Hussin Mohd Arftf, geotechnic expert Mohd Nor Omar, structural expert Mohd Nor Azudin Mansor, forensic expert Dr Lim Char Ching, slope expert Dr Che Hassandi Abdullah, structural consultant Tham Kum Weng and Professor Dr Gue See Sew.

On Nov 13, the building on a hillslope at the edge of Tasik Temengor collapsed suddenly.

It was to be the first of a two-phase project comprising 14 rooms, an office block, a showroom and a car park.

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Penang wants report from TNB

Thursday November 22, 2007

PENANG: The state government wants a report from Tenaga Nasional Bhd by this week on why its fail-safe system to ensure continuous power supply on the island did not work during Tuesday's blackout.

State Public Works, Utilities and Transportation Committee chairman Datuk Koay Kar Huah said the failure in the system had caused a major power outage of between 10 minutes and one hour in several areas, including Bayan Lepas, George Town and Farlim.

He said the TNB substation in Seberang Prai should have kicked in to provide continuous power supply to the Island if there was a failure at the substation in Juru.

“Many Penangites were affected, even I was trapped in a lift in Komtar for about five minutes,” he told reporters during a break at the State Assembly sitting here yesterday.

On Monday a major part on the island was hit by a blackout after a power trip at the TNB substation in Juru.

The power failure at 3.30pm affected several areas in George Town, Air Itam, Tanjung Bungah and Pulau Tikus for about 90 minutes.

It was reported that several areas in Bayan Lepas were hit for about 10 minutes.

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