GEORGE TOWN, June 19- Penang Umno and JKP Sdn Bhd (JKP) which is the owner of the state Umno building will cooperate with the authorities as well as the state government to complete investigations on the collapse of a lightning arrester pole in Jalan Macalister, here last Thursday.
State Umno Liaison Committee chairman, Datuk Zainal Abidin Osman (photo) said the party had no objection in cooperating in the interest of all parties.
He said JKP was also conducting its internal investigation to identify any negligence or irregularities in the audit of the building as well as safety aspects.
“We will cooperate in the investigation and we request all parties not to politicise the incident. I regret that many parties including the MP for Tanjung (Ng Wei Aik) who questioned the approval for the construction of the building in 1995.
“The building was constructed by a private company in 1995 and later bought by Amanah Capital Berhad before being sold to JKP in 2005,” he told a press conference here today.
Meanwhile, Menara Umno owner, JKP Sdn Bhd (JKP) has been directed to furnish report on the concrete strength and stability of the remaining structure following the collapse of the lighting arrester pole within seven days from today.
Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said in this regard, JKP was ordered to carry out an overall inspection of the existing concrete structure and the section involved in the collapse.
“The verification on the building’s structure strength and stability is important to ensure public safety,” he told reporters before a briefing on the search and rescue operations following the collapse of the lightning arrester pole in Jalan Macalister.
In a freak storm at 6.45pm last Thursday, a hawker, Lim Chin Aik, 44, was feared buried after a search and rescue team found a grey Honda City in a crater at the incident site on Saturday.
Apart from Chin Aik, the incident also caused the death of foreign worker, Jahir Sulaiman, 46, after the lorry he was travelling in was crushed by the lighting arrester.
– BERNAMA
