Datuk Kong Cho Ha and or Chor Chee Hong must provide immediate and satisfactory answers to the deceased’s families

Statement by M Kula Segaran, DAP National Vice Chairman and MP for Ipoh Barat in Ipoh on Saturday, March 5, 2011

Photo note : Ipoh Barat MP M.Kulasegaran with family of deceased ; Father Mohd Norzila sitting next right to M.Kula, mother Fawziah Binti Salleh (standing end of left), brother Mohd Fahdli Bin Mohd Norzila (standing 2nd right) and uncle Mohd Jamil Bin Mahyuddin (standing end of right).

Fair Park incident: Datuk Kong Cho Ha and or Chor Chee Hong must provide immediate and satisfactory answers to the deceased’s families

On October 2, 2009, the building in Jalan Kamaruddin in Fair Park which was being demolished to make way for new shop houses collapsed on a Perodua Viva, killing two passengers in the car.

The deceased were Zairi Mohd Sabri, and Firdaus Mohd Norzila, who were then aged 25 and 23 respectively. The driver, Abdil Kudus Ismail, was discharged after receiving outpatient treatment at the Hospital.

When Ex-Housing and Local Governmnet Minister Datuk Kong Cho Ha visited the site the following day, he announced that a temporary work order was issued. Below is an extract of additional comments which he said and were reported in the media on October 4, 2009.

The former Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha said the Ipoh City Council had also been instructed to prepare a preliminary report on the matter to be submitted to the ministry by tomorrow.

“We want to find out whether precautionary measures were taken during the demolition work,” he told reporters here yesterday after visiting the site. He added that the Public Works Department, police, Fire and Rescue Department and the Occupational Safety and Health Department (DOSH) would also be asked to prepare reports.

The statements of eyewitnesses and workers at the site would also be taken to assist in investigations. “Action will be taken if the consultant was found to be negligent in using the wrong method to demolish the buildings,” he said.

In 8thDecember, 2009, I had also this issue in Parliament.

I had questioned Datuk Kong Cho Ha on what lessons had his Ministry learned from the collapse of the CS Supermarket incident which happened 6 months before the Fair Park incident.

I said that after the Supermarket incident, a report was presented to the Cabinet with the necessary re commendations.

The important question which the Minister must answer was what actions were taken by his Ministry and the local governments in the country to prevent similar occurrence?

I am sure that if the necessary recommendations had been implemented, the Fair Park incident would not have happened.

What is most unacceptable is that although the Fair Park incident has happened for more than a year, yet no party has been declared as the negligent party/parties to be held responsible and hence, no action has been taken against anyone or party.

Let me remind the Government that the Fair Park incident is no small matter as two lives were lost.

The deceased’s families have a right to know who must be held responsible for the deaths and why till today there has been no action taken against the culprits.

There can be no justification whatsoever for such long delay and there cannot be any further delay even for one day.

Datuk Kong Cho Ho and or its new Minister Chor Chee Hong must provide immediate and satisfactory answers to the families.

MBI( local council)

The Ipoh local council (MBI) is the supervising authority in the Ipoh area. MBI must give the necessary approval before demolition work can commence. Thus MBI has more then a moral duty to state publically what went wrong that resulted in the two innocent persons been killed.

We also urge the Ipoh City Mayor and its Councillors to tender public apology on the incident. Further the Council should press charges on those who were negligent/dereliction in carrying out its public duty.