KOTA KINABALU: Safety standards and measures at construction sites must be reviewed to prevent accidents like the recent fatal sewer pit incident in Lahad Datu, says the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP).
Its vice president Shuaib Mutalib said the incident on Friday (Jan 23) was a preventable tragedy that exposed serious gaps in public safety oversight.
He said it raised pressing questions about the competence and accountability of those responsible for public infrastructure safety.
On Friday, one man was killed while another was injured when their vehicle hit a road divider and plunged into the open 7m-deep pit.
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Shuaib said on Tuesday (Jan 27) that on-site observations showed the sewer pit was left open dangerously close to the road, with one side encroaching onto the kerb.
These conditions constituted a serious risk to road users, reflecting a lack of proactive safety planning and enforcement, he said.
"This fatal incident was entirely preventable. Adequate safety measures, including securely covering the pit, installing solid physical barriers, and placing prominent warning signage, should have been implemented long before this tragedy occurred.
"The absence of these essential precautions highlights a systemic failure in site management and regulatory enforcement," he added.
He also said statements from the district office confirmed that existing safety measures were insufficient.
Alarmingly, additional barriers were only installed after the accident, he added.
Shuaib said this incident was unacceptable and said the Sabah State Sewerage Services Department had a duty to implement safety measures.
"I call on the relevant authorities, including the Works Ministry, to provide a full explanation and take immediate, tangible action," he said.
Shuaib said it was vital that those in charge showed accountability, enforced strict safety standards, and ensured that the lives of Sabahans are not put at unnecessary risk.
