Sunday, May 31, 2009

Demolition experts to prevent repeat disaster

PETALING JAYA: The Petaling Jaya City Council will restructure its Building Control Department by bringing in demolition experts following the Jaya Supermarket building tragedy in Section 14 here.

Mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman said the catastrophe was a hard lesson for all and that future demolition work has to be scrutinised more thoroughly, especially once the Selangor government’s urban renewal projects take off.

He said urban renewal under the state’s economic stimulus package would involve demolishing old buildings including factories in Section 13 and Old Town, which were as old as the 35-year-old Jaya Supermarket building.

“They must be handled with care,” he said yesterday after launching the Residents Represen-tatives Council for Zone 4 and councillors service centre at the MBPJ Community Hall in SS7.

“In addition to getting experts, we will also work with the state to formulate safety guidelines for future demolition work,” said Mohamad Roslan. The demolish-and-rebuild project at Jaya Supermarket was approved in 2007.

Mohamad Roslan said the council approved the demolition based on a consultant’s report and recommendations as it did not have experts in the field. The consultant was appointed by the developer.

He said the council’s monitoring had so far found that the developer and contractor, who are said to have handled several demolition projects in Kuala Lumpur and Johor, had met the safety requirements set by the relevant bodies before starting demolition work.

He added that the council would distribute flyers to nearby communities whenever a demolition was to take place.

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