Two companies fined for neglecting safety, leading to workers' deaths

IPOH: Two companies were fined RM50,000 and RM35,000, respectively, by the Sessions Court here Monday (Jan 24) for neglecting safety aspects that resulted in the deaths of their workers.

In the first case, Lumut Maritime Terminal Sdn Bhd, represented by its chief financial officer Mohd Hidayatullah Mohamed Yusof, was fined the maximum RM50,000 after being found guilty under Section 15(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994.

Judge Norashima Khalid meted out the punishment after the defence failed to raise any reasonable doubt on the prosecution’s case.

The court found that the main employer had failed to ensure a fall arrest system for scaffolding works which resulted in the death of Bangladeshi worker, Kamal Hossein, 42.

The incident happened on July 17, 2019 at the Lekir Bulk Terminal jetty, Pulau Lekir Satu in Seri Manjung.

Perak Occupational Safety and Health Department (DOSH) prosecution officers Devyclay Pius and Shahrill Sulaiman prosecuted the case while Lumut Maritime Terminal Sdn Bhd was represented by lawyer Tajuddin Razak.

Meanwhile, in the second case, rubber processing factory MARDEC Processing Sdn Bhd, represented by its operations manager Mohamad Zubir Md Desa, was fined RM35,000 after the company pleaded guilty to a similar offence.

MARDEC Processing was found to have failed to ensure a safety system for forklift driving activities which resulted in the death of Bangladeshi worker Md Milion Sheikh, 32.

The incident, which saw the victim hit by a forklift at the factory premises, happened on April 4 last year.

The case was prosecuted by Perak DOSH prosecution officer Eza Marny Marzuki while MARDEC Processing was unrepresented. - Bernama