VIDEO l 2:56 min

The contractor who built a mosque in Terengganu which saw its roof collapse in 2009 went on to build another mosque in the state, and the roof of this structure also collapsed in September, claimed an opposition MP.

PAS' Kuala Terengganu MP Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah Raja Ahmad said the contractor behind Masjid Kampung Tebauk in Kuala Terengganu also built the Masjid Batu Puteh in Kemaman where the roof caved in 2009.

What is even "scarier", he said, the same contractor is believed to have built "several other projects" in the state and was not blacklisted as claimed by the government in a reply to Parliament last week.

"I understand that the same contractor built several other projects, which have not yet collapsed, but maybe coming soon. It is scary... Perhaps nothing will happen but the risk is there as their performance is poor.

"Today people joke that when you go to a mosque in Terengganu to pray, don't wear a soft skullcap but a metal hard hat, as the roof will collapse. It's a sick joke," he said.

However, when asked the identity of the contractor in question, Raja Kamarul Bahrin said he needed to do further checks to confirm the contractor's full name.

"But I am sure the two mosques had the same contractor," he told reporters at the Parliament lobby.

20 structures collapsed in 5 years

Raja Kamarul Baharin, a prominent architect, added there is urgent need for the state government to now check if the same contractors behind the collapsed buildings had built other state structures.

This includes the contractor that built the 14-month-old Dewan Chancellor at Kolej Universiti Tati in Kemaman, which roof caved in on Monday.

"Everytime there is a collapsed structure, the state government will make noice and get angry with the Works Department.

"It is not about letting off steam but taking long-term action," he said.

He added that in the past five years, at least 20 structures have collapsed in Terengganu, signalling a "moral decay" within the government.

"The problem is enforcement and political will, that maybe these contractors have strong influence that they are awarded new projects even though they are problematic," he said.

He added the problem extends nationwide, with the auditor-general reporting that 83 government projects abandoned.

And yet the errant contractors were not penalised as about half of performance bonds or RM1.1 billion were not not collected.

"This is the people's money and should be collected to repair those ailing projects and or build hospitals and schools and so on," he said.

The Kolej Universiti Tati roof collapse is the third this year, following a collapse at Masjid Kampung Tebauk and Masjid Binjai Kertas. No injuries were reported.