Ikram to check cracks on buildings near Times Square
GEORGE TOWN: Large cracks have appeared in a number of buildings around the RM558 million Penang Times Square project, prompting the state government to rope in the Public Works Institute of Malaysia (Ikram) to help look into the problem.
State executive councilor Chow Kon Yeow said Ikram will assist the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) to determine the cause of the cracks and bow the damage can be rectified.
The move follows a visit by Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and MPPP president Datuk Zainal Rahim Seman to some of the affected buildings, including pre-war structures, on Friday.
Ikram will determine if measures taken by the developer, Ivory Properties Group, are effective to solve the problem, Chow said.
He said the matter has affected the safety of the residents in the Jalan Kuantan area as well as the general public.
"If Ikram's finding prove that the development project is the factor that caused the cracks, the MPPP will issue a stop-work order on the project immediately," he said.
During the site visit, Lim had criticized the developer for failing to take initial steps to prevent damage to the houses.
He told a press conference after inspecting the cracks at one of the houses he was not satisfied with the developer?s explanations.
Ivory Properties executive director Datuk Nazir Ariff, who was present, said they had taken preventive measures from the beginning and had conducted a dilapidation survey in 2005.
"We envisaged all this back then and even before the project started, some of these houses already had crack lines," he said.
Nazir said the construction of the project could have made the cracks worse and they are equally concerned over this.
"From now on, we will take all necessary steps to minimize any damage to surrounding house and we will also repair all the affected house," he said.
The issue surfaced about a week ago when Lim's political secretary and Komtar assemblyman Ng Wei Aik alerted the council after receiving a complaint from a resident on May 21.
The MPPP visited the site and found cracks in 18 houses on Kuantan Road and Kampung Jawa Baru.
In response, the developer set up a special committee to handle the complaints.
The project is situated on a 5.5 ha site where a tin smelting plant was previously located.
Phase one of the project comprises a four-story shopping mall with more than 300 retail outlets, Three other phases are scheduled to be completed by 2012.
The Sun (02/06/2008)
State executive councilor Chow Kon Yeow said Ikram will assist the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) to determine the cause of the cracks and bow the damage can be rectified.
The move follows a visit by Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and MPPP president Datuk Zainal Rahim Seman to some of the affected buildings, including pre-war structures, on Friday.
Ikram will determine if measures taken by the developer, Ivory Properties Group, are effective to solve the problem, Chow said.
He said the matter has affected the safety of the residents in the Jalan Kuantan area as well as the general public.
"If Ikram's finding prove that the development project is the factor that caused the cracks, the MPPP will issue a stop-work order on the project immediately," he said.
During the site visit, Lim had criticized the developer for failing to take initial steps to prevent damage to the houses.
He told a press conference after inspecting the cracks at one of the houses he was not satisfied with the developer?s explanations.
Ivory Properties executive director Datuk Nazir Ariff, who was present, said they had taken preventive measures from the beginning and had conducted a dilapidation survey in 2005.
"We envisaged all this back then and even before the project started, some of these houses already had crack lines," he said.
Nazir said the construction of the project could have made the cracks worse and they are equally concerned over this.
"From now on, we will take all necessary steps to minimize any damage to surrounding house and we will also repair all the affected house," he said.
The issue surfaced about a week ago when Lim's political secretary and Komtar assemblyman Ng Wei Aik alerted the council after receiving a complaint from a resident on May 21.
The MPPP visited the site and found cracks in 18 houses on Kuantan Road and Kampung Jawa Baru.
In response, the developer set up a special committee to handle the complaints.
The project is situated on a 5.5 ha site where a tin smelting plant was previously located.
Phase one of the project comprises a four-story shopping mall with more than 300 retail outlets, Three other phases are scheduled to be completed by 2012.
The Sun (02/06/2008)
posted by weiaik at
21:47
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