Lack of safety bars upsets father
10/4/2005 The Malay Mail By Najmuddin Najib
Apr 10: TAXI driver Rosli Awang Kechik thought his world had all but ended
when his three-year-old son plunged to his death after slipping through a
broken railing along the corridor of their 11th floor flat at Kota
Damansara in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, last month.
The March 30 tragedy left his whole family in shock, especially as they
were looking forward to moving into their brand-new unit in a 17-storey
flat at Kampung Baiduri in Sungai Way, Petaling Jaya soon.
However, his sorrow quickly turned to anger following a visit to their new
home recently, as he found that the developers had opted not to install
iron bars at the windows of all the units.
“My only son died when he slipped through a broken railing. That incident
was avoidable had the flat’s management repaired the defect promptly,”
said Rosli, 40, at a Press conference yesterday at the DAP headquarters in
Petaling Jaya.
“The tragedy made me realise just how easy it is to overlook safety
aspects when it involves children. Imagine my anger when I found that our
new home is not fitted with safety bars, so soon after losing my son.”
Also present was DAP national publicity secretary Ronnie Liu, who said the
developers’ decision not to instal safety bars in the windows was largely
influenced by the Fire and Rescue Services Department.
“In a letter to the Kampung Baiduri flats project architects, the Fire and
Rescue Services Department listed general requirements for the project,”
alleged Liu.
“In one section, the department advised the developers to inform buyers
not to install safety bars or grilles which cannot be easily opened from
inside or outside the unit.”
Liu said although the advice was well-intentioned, developers might take
advantage of the “clause” as a way of reducing costs.
“Now developers think they have free rein to simply do away with
installing the iron bars, which are a crucial safety feature,” he said.
“It not only keeps intruders out but also prevents children from falling
to their deaths. Developers are misusing the advice in order to maximise
their profits.”
Liu said that in the case of the Kampung Baiduri flats, the developers had
opted not to instal bars in the windows.
“Strangely, they chose to install iron bars at the community hall. I
believe that their priorities are totally misplaced,” he said, and also
urged the Fire and Rescue Department to review their guidelines.
Liu added that they will contact the developer for further clarification
on the matter. |
