Compensate car owners, Menara Umno owner urged

Owners of cars damaged when a lightning rod fell off Menara Umno during a freak storm in Penang on June 13 have found that they are unable to make insurance claims to cover the cost of repairs.

In view of this, the DAP’s Tanjung MP Ng Wei Aik has urged the building owner, JKP Sdn Bhd, to compensate the car owners. JKP is a company under the Finance Ministry.

Ng (left) said he has written to chief executive officer Adzmi Ariffin, as about seven cars were affected in the incident.

He said JKP cannot claim that the building was safe prior to the storm because it was revealed that the company had failed to submit a report on the structural review and security of the building in 2011.

"I hope JKP, as a responsible party, doesn’t shrink from its responsibility to provide compensation and humanitarian aid to the victims who have suffered loss and damage," Ng said.

He also said he had raised of issue of compensation for the victims during the Dewan Rakyat sitting on July 4.

The Finance Ministry had replied that it would communicate with JKP and Bank Negara, which can offer guidelines on insurance claims for victims of the storm.

"The incident can be categorised as an unintentional accident. Compensation and insurance cannot be denied to the victims by saying it was an act of God," he said.

Proviso in insurance policy

Ng further said that he has written to the insurance company which rejected one car owner’s claim for RM22,000 in damages.

Bong Soo Shong, 41, who owns a Toyota Vios, had made a report at the Northeast police station on June 14.

The insurer MSIG Malaysia said her policy covers impact damage caused by falling object - but only if no flood, typhoon, hurricane storm, tempest, volcanic eruption, earthquake, landslide, landslip, subsidence or sinking of the soil/ earth or other convulsion of nature is involved.

Bong was told that she could, instead, extend the policy cover by paying an additional premium of 5 percent on the value for each year or part of a year.

On July 26, Bank Negara told her in a letter that MSIG's decision was in line with the terms and conditions of her insurance policy.

Ng said he has written to Bank Negara to seek its help, also submitting a letter from the Northeast police stating that the damage to the car was due to an "unintentional accident".

He cited the case of another victim, Chong Ai Wye, 32, who owns a Ford Fiesta. The repairs are estimated at RM13,317.36.

Ng said a legal suit against JKP would be the last resort for the victims as this would be a costly exercise.

He urged other car owners affected to contact him, so that legal action can be initiated should the relevant parties fail to honour their responsibility.