The Malaysian Insight

THE Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) has completed its investigation on the Bukit Kukus landslide in Paya Terubong, Penang.

State DOSH director Jaafar Leman said the department was now finalising the investigation papers to determine whether any party had broken the law under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and the Factories and Machinery Act.

DOSH, a federal agency under the Human Resources Ministry, is the regulator on work site safety.

The department had on October 24 issued a stop-work order on the construction of a pair road after the landslide killed nine foreigners on October 19.

Jaafar said in November, DOSH allowed an application by the road project contractor, Yuta Maju Sdn Bhd, to stabilise the slopes at the construction site.

He said the work, which included soil-nailing and scheduled maintenance, was ongoing.

“We have not given them any permission to work on the road project until they have received control measures in writing,” he said.

Jaafar’s statement today followed the Penang government’s decision yesterday to wait for the federal department to reveal its findings on the tragedy.

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow had said the state would not take any action until DOSH issued its report.

The state had ordered its own investigations into the landslide. The Penang Island City Council, the owner of the pair road project, presented the report of its internal probe to the state executive council yesterday.

Earlier, a special committee set up to probe the landslide – headed by deputy chief minister I Ahmad Zakiyuddin Abdul Rahman, a trained civil engineer – had also presented its report.

Chow said the reports were for internal knowledge, declining to reveal their findings for the moment. – January 10, 2019.