Latest news with #andPublicParticipationProgramme
The Star
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
S'gor MB: Putra Heights case classification not a dead end
SEPANG: Action can still be taken against those found responsible for the Putra Heights inferno if evidence emerges in the future, says the Selangor government. Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said state authorities could still pursue their own course of action even though the police have classified the case as 'no further action'. Amirudin said a special state government committee is looking into the Occupational Safety and Health Department (DOSH) report into the gas pipe line explosion, which was released on June 30. The DOSH report said the pipeline had been damaged by weak soil beneath the pipes, which caused gas to leak and ignite. 'The report will give an idea of what happened and who could be the responsible party. 'Anyone who wants to check the findings will be able to do so. I have no issue with the report being scrutinised,' Amirudin told reporters yesterday after launching the Sepang Municipal Council, Selangor Local Draft Plan 2035 (Amendment) Publicity and Public Participation Programme. Amirudin was responding to criticisms from Putra Heights residents and some politicians who disputed the government's findings. 'There is a party disputing the report and accusing it of spinning the story,' he added. 'Perceptions must be backed by accurate and scientific proof, which is what is being done,' he said, referring to the state's special committee set up to review the findings and propose follow-up actions. The pipeline fire on April 1 caused widespread destruction, including to 81 homes that suffered more than 40% structural damage. Another 81 houses were partially destroyed, while 57 were affected but not burned. Elaborating on the police's investigation, Amirudin said the force had recorded statements from 212 witnesses before ruling out negligence or criminal elements. Among the witnesses were Subang Jaya City Council officers, the developer of a project near the site, security guards, excavator operators and PETRONAS staff. He said the report was compiled independently and without the involvement of the state. Meanwhile, Putra Heights residents who were affected by the fire expressed disappointment in the findings. 'We are surprised and disagree that there was no negligence involved,' said Putra Harmoni Residents Association vice-chairman Francis Koh Eng Tiong. He added that the findings seemed incomplete, lacked impartiality and reflected investigators' failure to find out what caused the soil beneath the pipes to move. Residents had lodged reports to the Subang Jaya City Council more than three months before the incident with visual evidence of heavy equipment and construction material near the explosion site, he added. Koh said an independent party should be appointed to carry out further investigations and provide measures to prevent a recurrence of such incidents. Other residents also told The Star that the relevant authorities should keep affected residents updated on future plans and remedial actions at the site. 'They should provide written technical reports or summaries in layman's terms to rebuild trust. 'Let this incident serve as a reminder that in times of crisis recovery, engineering precision must go hand-in-hand with empathy and community engagement,' they said.
Malaysian Reserve
3 days ago
- Politics
- Malaysian Reserve
Selangor MB: Probe into Putra Heights blast transparent, independent
CYBERJAYA — The investigation into the gas pipeline fire in Putra Heights, Subang Jaya, on April 1 was carried out independently and transparently, without any interference from the Selangor government, said Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari. He said the Selangor government was not directly involved in the investigation, but only served as one of the 212 witnesses. Amirudin said the focus now was on the special committee set up to study the report on the incident and recommend several measures to the state government. 'The reality is, the investigation was conducted completely independently, with no interference from the state government. So, if there are parties disputing it, that does not mean the report is inaccurate,' he said. He said this at a press conference after officiating the Publicity and Public Participation Programme for the Draft Local Plan of the Sepang Municipal Council, Selangor 2035 (Replacement), here today. Amirudin said the full report of the investigation into the gas pipeline fire incident would be made available to the public once approval is obtained from the relevant authority. 'I will make the investigation public once permission is obtained and (anyone) may review it to find out who is responsible and (the report) contains an explanation of that. 'We should not assume that there is interference in every matter. (Such) perceptions must be backed by clear and scientific evidence,' he said. Amirudin stressed that the state government had given the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) full space to carry out the investigation, including summoning witnesses such as the developer, security guards and excavator operators. '(At present) police investigations have found no evidence of negligence or foul play,' he said. Amirudin had earlier said that Selangor would establish a special committee to formulate long-term strategies and propose new regulations to prevent incidents such as the gas pipeline fire in Putra Heights from recurring. Police have classified the gas pipeline explosion incident as No Further Action (NFA) following criminal investigations that found no elements of negligence or sabotage. The blaze and explosion destroyed 81 houses with structural damage exceeding 40 per cent, partially destroyed another 81 and affected 57 without burning, while 218 houses were unaffected, including those in Kampung Tengah, Puchong. — BERNAMA
The Star
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
S'gor MB: 212 witness statements recorded in gas pipeline probe
CYBERJAYA: Police recorded statements from 212 witnesses during the investigation into the gas explosion incident at Putra Heights before ruling out negligence or criminal elements, says Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari. Among the witnesses are Subang Jaya City Council officers, the developer of a project near the site, security guards, excavator operators and PETRONAS staff. He said the report was compiled independently and without the involvement of the state. Amirudin also dismissed claims by some quarters that the report had been manipulated. 'There is a party disputing the report and accusing it of spinning the story. 'Perceptions must be backed by accurate and scientific proof, which is what is being done,' he said, referring to the special committee that would be formed to review the findings and propose follow-up actions to the state. Amirudin said this at a press conference during the launch of the Sepang Municipal Council, Selangor Local Draft Plan 2035 (Amendment) Publicity and Public Participation Programme at Semarak Hall in Cyberjaya today (July 3). Although the police have classified the case as 'no further action', Amirudin said if any evidence emerges from the report, relevant parties could take action. 'The report will give an idea of what happened and who could be the responsible party. 'Anyone who wants to check the findings will be able to do so. 'I have no issue with the report being scrutinised,' he said. On April 1, a gas pipeline fire caused widespread destruction, affecting 81 homes with more than 40% structural damage. Another 81 houses were partially destroyed, while 57 were affected but not burned.
