IPOH: The parents of two teenage friends believed to have fallen to their deaths from the abandoned Sungai Pari flats in Buntong have lodged police reports over safety conditions there.
T. Thayaalaraj, 37, the father of one of the girls, said the report was lodged because the abandoned flats have not been properly monitored and authorities have taken no action to curb the potential danger there.
"My daughter lost her life there. It’s a matter of public safety. I’m lodging the report for the Ipoh City Council (MBI) to take immediate action to ensure the safety of the abandoned site, which has been left neglected for many years.
"They should either demolish the building or fence off the entire area," he said after lodging the report at the Kampung Baru Buntong police station on Friday (July 31).
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Thayaalaraj, an executive chief concierge in Singapore, said the families intend to bring the matter before the courts.
"We already have a lawyer and the case will focus on one issue, which is safety," he said.
Former Buntong assemblyman A. Sivasubramaniam also called for the immediate demolition of the abandoned flats to prevent similar tragedies.
He urged the Perak government and MBI to either demolish the abandoned building or deploy sufficient security personnel to prevent trespassing.
"We do not want incidents like this to happen again.
"The safety of the public, especially schoolchildren in the Buntong area, must be prioritised.
"I also urge the police to conduct regular patrols during both the day and night.
"It’s a 15-storey block. One security guard is simply not enough to monitor the entire area and more personnel should be deployed, especially if demolition works will take time," he added.
Sivasubramaniam also called on MBI to fence off the entire site, as at the First Garden flats.
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"I hope the authorities act immediately. We should not have to wait until lives are lost before action is taken.
"Every time an incident occurs, only then do people rush to the scene. We do not want to keep hearing the same response after another tragedy," he said.
Earlier, Perak Housing and Property Board chief executive officer Zaiteena Wan Nasir said the demolition of the Sungai Pari flats would be determined by the appointed developer.
She said a developer was appointed early this year to redevelop the area and would make any decision on the flats.
On Tuesday (July 28), the Perak Indian Traders Association offered to demolish the abandoned flats for free because of safety concerns.
The offer would cover demolition, rubbish and debris removal, and levelling of the area to ensure the safety of residents and schoolchildren nearby.
This followed reports of two teenage girls found dead near the 15-storey Sungai Pari flats on July 24.
