The Perak state government will ban the contractor who built the illegal Kuala Dipang suspension bridge which collapsed on Oct 26, leading to the drowning of three schoolgirls.

NONE According to Menteri Besar Zambry Abdul Kadir, the state is also considering making a criminal negligence police report against the Puchong- based contractor CWL Enterprise.

"We must remember that three innocent lives were lost due to the contractor who illegally built the bridge without getting the proper building sanctions from the relevant authorities.

"The construction company is not even registered with the (Works Ministry wing) CIDB (Construction Industry Development Board)," said the angry state head.

Zambry said they would wait for the Education Ministry's report on the Kuala Dipang bridge tragedy before taking action.

"The state government would not only blacklist this contractor but totally ban him from undertaking any state contracts in future," he said.

He warned that the state government is considering instituting similar bans on other contractors who do "shoddy jobs" and "not in a professional manner" on projects like buildings and roads that may endanger public safety.

On Tuesday, education director-general Alimuddin Mohd Dom, who headed the committee to investigate the bridge tragedy, said the bridge collapse was due to a faulty concrete block connection.

Earlier on Nov 16, the Pakatan Rakyat ad-hoc committee headed by V Sivakumar pinpointed the weak foundation structure of the bridge as the main cause for the collapse.

'Perakians needing shelter, not squatters'

Today, Zambry was speaking to the media after presenting offer letters of alternative lot sites to 44 squatters at Kampung KTM Sungai Buloh in Sungai Siput.

According to the village head T Nadarajan, 34, many of the squatters have stayed in the village for over 40 years and have been campaigning for seven years for alternative sites after the KTMB double-track project started.

Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM), led by Sungai Siput MP Dr D Jevakumar, had earlier been campaigning on behalf of the squatters. MIC state chief S Veerasingam took over the campaign later.

NONE Alluding to PSM, Zambry said: "I do not subscribe to road demonstrations and carrying banners to solve the squatter problems in the state."

"I prefer to go my own way in quietly addressing the problems. My main mission (as menteri besar) is to ensure that the state is squatter-free in the years to come," he added.

The menteri besar said he does not want to call such people illegal squatters but considers them as Perakians in need of shelter.

On DAP state secretary Nga Kor Ming's recent claim that Perak had been left out of the 2010 budget, Zambry said funds were allocated to the state and advised Nga to 'recheck his facts first'.

Asked about the controversial 'doormat incident' during the Sunday DAP state convention, where DAP members stepped on pictures of the three former Pakatan reps-turned-independents, Zambry said Malays consider such actions "sensitive" and prohibited.

He said DAP should respect the sensitivities of other races before becoming emotional and acting irresponsibly.

When it was pointed out that Nga had apologised over the incident, Zambry said: "Yes, but the party supremo (meaning Lim Kit Siang) did not!"