KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) is prepared to review the structures and safety features of high-rise buildings to prevent accidents, such as children falling off, from recurring.
Its minister Zuraida Kamaruddin said the construction of existing high-rise blocks met the Uniform Building By-Law (UKBS), but KPKT would improve the provisions if necessary.
“UKBS has stipulated that every balcony must have a railing of not less than one metre. In terms of specification and structure, safety features already exist. Therefore, I suppose we have to look back to determine whether to build them higher (railing construction).
“I also do not want our houses to be like a prison with high railings and so on, until we cannot get this feeling that we are free. However, we will investigate and see how this structure is further upgraded, reviewed and have its specifications changed,” she said.
She was answering an additional question by Fong Kui Lun (PH-Bukit Bintang) on the installation of fences in high rise buildings to prevent children from falling off buildings at a question-and-answer session at the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
On September 13, a four-year-old girl died after falling off the balcony at her home on the 17th floor of Kota Damansara People’s Housing Project (PPR).
Meanwhile, Zuraida said KPKT would conduct a regular supervision of high-rise buildings to ensure that they were always safe.
Earlier in a reply to the question from Alice Lau (PH-Lanang) on the iScada Net Sdn Bhd company which was designated as the sole company to install the Automatic Fire Monitoring System (SPKA), Zuraida said it was selected after submitting the best tender.
“The company’s contract would expire in 2020 and the ministry will check to ensure there is no element of monopoly. The cost of installation (once only) is RM2,530 while the SPKA fee is RM150 and the Telco Fee RM70.
“KPKT was also informed that the SPKA system was more up to date, and studies will be conducted to compare both the SPKA system and the (previous) Computerised Monitoring System (CMS),” she explained. -Bernama
