The commission of inquiry into Menara Umno in Penang heard that the Penang Municipal Council had approved an amended building plan which did not include a structural tie that could have secured the lightning arrestor.
First witness at the commission, MPPP building department architect Tan Li Hai, said he would not have approved the amended plans without engineers' endorsement.
"The amended plans lacked a steel tie structure, which would have secured the lightning arrestor to the structure of the building, making it harder for it to fall," he told the three-panel commission, which opened today at Penang Technology Court.
"The structure was in the original plan but not in the amended one," he added.
It is learnt that the amended plan, approved by MPPP on July 23, 1998, the same day it was submitted, did not carry the signatures of civil and structural engineers, which at that time was Tahir Wong Sdn Bhd.
Tan was responding to a question from commission chairperson Yeoh Yang Poh on whether he would approve the plan without engineers' signatures.
Yeoh also said it was clear that the architects and engineers of the building owner - JKP Sdn Bhd should be present in court to explain the missing tie structure.
The 21-storey Menara Umno, situated along Jalan Macalister, is under scrutiny as its 42-metre-long lightning arrestor fell during a violent storm which hit Penang on June 13 this year, killing two.
The body of one of the victims, hawker Lim Chin Aik, was never found as his car was buried under falling concrete. An inquiry into his death is currently being held for a death certificate to be issued to his family.
Accompanying Yeoh on the panel are engineers Roslan Hashim and Gue See Sew.
Yeoh questioned if it were normal for amended plans to be submitted and approved within a day.
In reply, Tan said that a one-stop centre committee usually sits to approve such plans on the spot.
"When the committee sits, we have representatives from all the technical departments, including architects and engineers.
"The plans come in and can be approved in a day," he told the commission which opened today at the Penang Technology Court.
First witness at the commission, MPPP building department architect Tan Li Hai, said he would not have approved the amended plans without engineers' endorsement.
"The amended plans lacked a steel tie structure, which would have secured the lightning arrestor to the structure of the building, making it harder for it to fall," he told the three-panel commission, which opened today at Penang Technology Court.
"The structure was in the original plan but not in the amended one," he added.
It is learnt that the amended plan, approved by MPPP on July 23, 1998, the same day it was submitted, did not carry the signatures of civil and structural engineers, which at that time was Tahir Wong Sdn Bhd.
Tan was responding to a question from commission chairperson Yeoh Yang Poh on whether he would approve the plan without engineers' signatures.Yeoh also said it was clear that the architects and engineers of the building owner - JKP Sdn Bhd should be present in court to explain the missing tie structure.
The 21-storey Menara Umno, situated along Jalan Macalister, is under scrutiny as its 42-metre-long lightning arrestor fell during a violent storm which hit Penang on June 13 this year, killing two.
The body of one of the victims, hawker Lim Chin Aik, was never found as his car was buried under falling concrete. An inquiry into his death is currently being held for a death certificate to be issued to his family.
Accompanying Yeoh on the panel are engineers Roslan Hashim and Gue See Sew.
Yeoh questioned if it were normal for amended plans to be submitted and approved within a day.
In reply, Tan said that a one-stop centre committee usually sits to approve such plans on the spot.
"When the committee sits, we have representatives from all the technical departments, including architects and engineers.
"The plans come in and can be approved in a day," he told the commission which opened today at the Penang Technology Court.
MPPP head needed as witness
Tan, who has worked with MPPP for about 10 years, said there were hundreds, perhaps thousands of such cases.
Tan, who has worked with MPPP for about 10 years, said there were hundreds, perhaps thousands of such cases.
Yeoh asked if there had been cases of a building taller than three storeys approved in such a manner.
"I recall one which is higher than three storeys. It was a plan for refurbishment," Tan replied.
Meanwhile, the commission was told to call in as witness MPPP president Pattahiyah Ismail as she was the one who signed a special permission in 1995, to allow Menara Umno to be constructed before the submission of the building plan on July 30, 1997.
Pattahiyah was then MPPP building director.
Abdul Fareed Abdul Gafoor, lawyer for JKP Sdn Bhd, said: "Tan often responded by saying ‘I was not there' or ‘I am not sure' when asked questions".
The commission was also "confused" that Menara Umno was issued an occupancy certificate which states that the document is not a certificate confirming that the building had been completed.
Yeoh said he is "a bit confused" about the matter and asked if a legal person could be called in to verify the meaning of the words "Ini bukan sijil siap punya rumah".
The phrase appears in the occupancy certificate issued to Menara Umno four days after the amended building plans' approval in 1998.
The three-panel commission will hear the testimonies of six witnesses, who will be questioned by conducting officers, lawyers Mureli Navaratnam and Ong Yu Shin.
Other than Abdul Fareed, Noramira Abdul Hamid held a watching brief for JKP Sdn Bhd, while Ung Chirt Kye and KT Rajah Naidu appeared for the Bar Council.
The commission is also tasked with holding the inquiry into the collapse of a ramp at the Penang second bridge on June 6, a week before the Menara Umno incident, killing former policeman Tajudin Zainal Abidin.
"I recall one which is higher than three storeys. It was a plan for refurbishment," Tan replied.
Meanwhile, the commission was told to call in as witness MPPP president Pattahiyah Ismail as she was the one who signed a special permission in 1995, to allow Menara Umno to be constructed before the submission of the building plan on July 30, 1997.
Pattahiyah was then MPPP building director.
Abdul Fareed Abdul Gafoor, lawyer for JKP Sdn Bhd, said: "Tan often responded by saying ‘I was not there' or ‘I am not sure' when asked questions".
The commission was also "confused" that Menara Umno was issued an occupancy certificate which states that the document is not a certificate confirming that the building had been completed.
Yeoh said he is "a bit confused" about the matter and asked if a legal person could be called in to verify the meaning of the words "Ini bukan sijil siap punya rumah".
The phrase appears in the occupancy certificate issued to Menara Umno four days after the amended building plans' approval in 1998.
The three-panel commission will hear the testimonies of six witnesses, who will be questioned by conducting officers, lawyers Mureli Navaratnam and Ong Yu Shin.
Other than Abdul Fareed, Noramira Abdul Hamid held a watching brief for JKP Sdn Bhd, while Ung Chirt Kye and KT Rajah Naidu appeared for the Bar Council.
The commission is also tasked with holding the inquiry into the collapse of a ramp at the Penang second bridge on June 6, a week before the Menara Umno incident, killing former policeman Tajudin Zainal Abidin.
The commission resumes tomorrow with a site visit to Menara Umno at 9am.
The panel will sit for another four sessions on Oct 23-28, Nov 6-12, Nov 16-20 and Nov 25-30.
The panel heard the testimonies of two other witnesses from the public today - Chong Ai Wye and Goh Kheng Liang, who were travelling along Macalister Road during the fateful incident.
The panel will sit for another four sessions on Oct 23-28, Nov 6-12, Nov 16-20 and Nov 25-30.
The panel heard the testimonies of two other witnesses from the public today - Chong Ai Wye and Goh Kheng Liang, who were travelling along Macalister Road during the fateful incident.
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