Condemn flats

Condemn flats, council urged
The Star 3/2/2005

PENANG: The Penang Municipal Council is seeking more information from the Penang Development Corporation before considering condemning the tilting five-storey walk-up flats in Lorong Mahsuri, Bayan Baru.

Its president Ahmad Phesal Talib said the council would probably issue the notice to the residents to evacuate the building with immediate effect.

He said this when commenting on the call by state Housing, Culture, Arts and Heritage Committee chairman Syed Amerrudin Syed Ahmad that the council immediately condemn the tilting block of flats.

Syed Amerrudin said the building must be condemned to facilitate immediate follow-up actions to evacuate the 180 residents to safety.

“The developer should not wait until an amicable situation is reached with the residents before informing the council.

“PDC has to take action and report to the council immediately so that the building can be officially declared unsafe,” he told a press conference at the PDC building yesterday.

The Malaysian Public Works Institute (Ikram) has recommended that the building, which has tilted more than a degree and moved 25.4cm from its axis, be condemned.

Its technical director Dr Ch’ng Guan Bee said although the building was not in danger of immediate collapse, it was not safe for long-term dwelling.

“Cracks are widening due to continued uneven settlement of the foundation. It is best the residents are evacuated and the building demolished,” he said.

Asked if the building was in danger of collapse if another powerful earthquake were to occur in Sumatra, Dr Ch’ng said there was no possibility of total collapse because the epicentre was about 400km away.

“Such tremors would only have an effect on the building if the foundation is very weak,” he said.

Cracks had appeared on the building since 1989. PDC had made several attempts to grout the foundation in 1994 and 2000.

As more cracks started appearing last year, the PDC commissioned Ikram to conduct a thorough investigation and monitor the situation.