TIMBER! ANOTHER ROOF COLLAPSES IN TERENGGANU: History repeating itself - Pas MP slams Umno

KUALA LUMPUR - Those who fail to learn from history are bound to repeat it, goes an old adage.

And for a PAS lawmaker, it rings true for the Terengganu government.

This came after the roof of the Kuala Terengganu Aquatic Swimming Pool collapsed on Dec 26. Fortunately, no one was hurt in the incident.

Kuala Terengganu Member of Parliament Datuk Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah Raja Ahmad, in a text message to The Rakyat Post, claimed that the Aquatic centre roof had been”problematic” upon completion.

The structure, he said, was under the “design and build” contract, which meant the contractor had full control of the design and cost.

Raja Kamarul, who is an architect, wondered what the government authorities had done to ensure good workmanship and safety.

“This has been the main problem, with lack of supervision and accountability being the order of the day.

“The Auditor-General’s yearly report keeps repeating the same weaknesses in contract supervision and accountability. History keeps repeating itself.”

This is not the first time a roof of a building in the oil-rich state has collapsed, leading it to being nick-named “Terrenganu Darul Runtuh”.

In 2009, the roof the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium caved in, a day before the Malaysia Games began.

Earlier this year, the steel scaffolding of the same roof of the stadium collapsed when construction workers attempted to remove it.

The roof of a RM1.7 million mosque in Hulu Terengganu also caved in earlier this year, while the roof of a mosque in Kemaman collapsed in 2009.

Raja Kamarul Bahrin then asked what it would take for the state government to “wake up” and change work ethics to ensure accountability.

“What price do we as a civil society have to keep paying?” - Therakyatpost.com