Bukit Kukus landslide: Contractor, project director each fined RM35,000

by BERNAMA / pic by BERNAMA

The construction company and the project director of the Paya Terubong paired roads project at Jalan Bukit Kukus here, were each fined RM35,000 by the Sessions Courts today after they pleaded guilty to an amended charge of failing to provide safe working procedures which contributed to the occurrence of the landslide at the project site two years ago.

Judge Mazdi Abdul Hamid imposed the fine on Yuta Maju Sdn Bhd (Yuta Maju), represented by its director, Rohani Razak, 47, and the project director, Lai Sin Kian, 58, after they changed their pleas to guilty today.

The court also ordered the company and the project director to serve two months’ jail if they fail to pay the fine.

Under the amended charge, Lai and Yuta Maju were each accused of failing to provide engineering calculations by an accredited engineer to carry out earth backfill work for the temporary slopes, resulting in a landslide at 1.50 pm on Oct 19, 2018.

The charge, framed under Section 15 (1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994, carries a fine of up to RM50,000 or imprisonment of up to two years or both, upon conviction.

The landslide claimed the lives of nine foreign workers, injuring four others with one remained unaccounted for. 

The paired roads project aimed at connecting Paya Terubong to Relau near here and is expected to be completed by May this year.