ALL Penang state agencies will be ordered to re-examine the safety aspects of ongoing and yet to be implemented development projects, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said.

The order comes after last Friday’s landslide at Bukit Kukus, Paya Terubong, where the Penang Island City Council is building a pair road. Nine foreign workers were killed.

Chow said all agencies will have to relook all aspects of their projects – from design to the appointment of contractors.

“The world now talks of climate change. The current procedures, existing regulations and enforcement may not be adequate anymore. Now, we have reports of non-compliance issues. So, we will order all the agencies to re-examine their ongoing projects. The same order applies to projects yet to be implemented.

“The state government puts the highest priority on safety regulations and environmental protection so similar tragedies will not happen due to inadequate monitoring and weaknesses in supervision and compliance of rules and guidelines,” he told a press conference at Komtar today.

Earlier, Chow witnessed the memorandum of understanding signing between state investment arm Penang Development Corporation (PDC) and the Construction Industry Development Board to boost construction quality, occupational safety and health.

Through the collaboration, PDC will use the QLASSIC (quality assessment system in construction) and SHASSIC (safety and health assessment system) by CIDB to ensure its projects meet safety standards standards.

Chow said PDC is the first state government agency in Penang to ink such a memorandum to collaborate with CIDB.

“The state wants to encourage all state agencies to work together with CIDB on improving quality, safety and health in their construction projects,” he said.

Chow said this initiative should also be extended to the private sector to prevent accidents at construction sites. – October 24, 2018.