GEORGE TOWN: A proposed pause on hillside construction during the northeast monsoon could delay projects and raise costs, but industry players say public safety must come first.
Master Builders Association Malaysia (MBAM) president Kenneth Liew Kiam Woon said contractors would face additional expenses from idle workers and machinery, site maintenance and extended overheads.
Project completion dates could be affected, with consequences for buyers and workers dependent on daily wages.
However, he said the actual loss of productive working time might be smaller than expected since heavy rain already slowed hillside construction.
“The impact should be manageable and outweighed by the need to protect public safety,” he said.
Liew hoped contractors would be granted reasonable extensions of time so that they would not bear the costs of a safety-driven suspension.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow on Tuesday called on both local councils to consider pausing hillside construction during the monsoon to allow closer site inspections and mitigation work.
He made the call after visiting Taman Seri Rambai in Paya Terubong, where a landslide last Sunday killed Dr Wong Kar Lin, 73.
The doctor was preparing breakfast when earth from a slope behind his house crashed into his kitchen, burying him.
His wife and mother-in-law survived.
An engineer involved in the construction industry described Chow’s proposal as a “knee-jerk reaction”, warning that a months-long suspension could expose contractors to high costs of project delays.
He said contractors would still have to pay workers and machinery rentals during the suspension.
Malaysian Institute of Architects Northern Chapter chairman Ooi Sze Meng urged restraint until investigations established the circumstances of the tragedy.
He said the authorities should complete their technical investigations before conclusions were drawn or responsibility assigned.
