Folk at tilted flats keen to move out
30/03/2005 The Star-North

RESIDENTS of the tilted Block H flats in Bayan Baru, Penang are keen to move out before the May deadline after yesterday’s tremors resulting from an earthquake in Sumatra. 

Resident Nurul Akhala Mohd Nor, 32, said they feared for their safety after experiencing strong vibrations at their five-storey block of flats in Lorong Mahsuri 10.  

“We cannot afford to wait for another tremor. The building may tilt further,” Nurul Akhala, whose flat is on the fourth floor.  

On Feb 2, the affected residents were advised to move out by May after the building was found to have tilted more than a degree and moved 25.4cm from its axis. 

Penang Development Corporation (PDC) general manager Datuk Ahmad Fuad Ismail was then quoted as saying the Dec 26 earthquake in Sumatra aggravated the tilting that started a few years ago. 

Said Nurul Akhala: “We hope PDC, as developer of the flats, will quickly buy back our units so that we can move out faster.  

“The authorities have al- ready declared the building as unsafe.”   Nurul Akhala said he was washing dishes after midnight when he noticed water inside the bathroom tub was swirling vigorously. 

“I quickly woke up my wife and two sons and we made our way down to the ground floor,” he added.   Another resident S. Prabakaran, 35, said: “My elderly parents were breathless after running down the stairs from our third floor flat to get out of the building. 

“We were watching television when we felt the floor and settee trembling for about a minute,” he said.  Prabakaran said once he signed the sale and purchase agreement (S&P) for a low-medium cost unit built by PDC in Sungai Dua, he would immediately move out.  

Housewife Latifah Md Daud, 70, said she was awakened by the tremor. She quickly rushed downstairs with her husband Abdul Razak Md Nor, their daughter and four grandchildren.  

Block H flats ad-hoc committee chairman Ab Rashid Abdullah said at least 30 families were still staying at the flats.  

“I hope we can all move out soon as I feel it is dangerous to remain here longer,” he said.  Pantai Jerejak assemblyman Wong Mun Hoe said the first batch of 27 families would move out by the end of this month.   The second batch is expected to leave by April 30 and the third batch, by May 31.