Azmin: Opposition to raise issues on Putra Heights blast in S'gor assembly

Summary

• Azmin Ali announces that PN lawmakers will raise the Putra Heights explosion issue in the Selangor state assembly sitting on July 7.

• The PN secretary-general says this is due to the government's failure to address questions on the incident by the opposition.

Opposition lawmakers will raise issues on the Putra Heights explosion in the upcoming Selangor state assembly, said Perikatan Nasional secretary-general Azmin Ali.

He said this is because the government's reports on the incident failed to address questions from the opposition, including a request for detailed information on Petronas' monitoring and maintenance work.

"We also insist that this matter should not be viewed solely from a commercial standpoint, but also in terms of humanitarian principles and the safety of human life.

"Unfortunately, the report issued does not answer all these questions.

"Therefore, the Selangor state assembly members will raise this matter in the July 7 session," Azmin (above) said in a statement today.

This came after a Bernama report saying that the police classified the incident as no further action, having found no elements of negligence or sabotage in its investigation.

A major fire involving a Petronas gas line on April 1 saw flames shooting more than 30m into the air, with temperatures reaching 1,000 degrees Celsius, transforming the surrounding landscape into a large crater.

The flames were fully extinguished after nearly eight hours.

About 146 victims were brought to hospitals and clinics for treatment, while Bernama reported that 219 homes suffered damage.

Digging into negligence

In his statement, Azmin also repeated his call for the state assembly to debate the disaster and probe its cause in a special sitting.

"We want to dig into the negligence and weaknesses in the approval process, whether at the local authority or state government level," he said.

He cited his statement on April 2, in which he urged Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari to convene the Selangor state assembly to discuss the incident.

He said this could be done under Article 10(3) of the Standing Orders of the Selangor state assembly, which allows the speaker to convene a sitting during an adjournment if the menteri besar informs the speaker that it is necessary in the public interest.

At the time, Azmin also called for the investigation into the incident to be presented and debated in the state assembly.

Yesterday, the Occupational Safety and Health Department (Dosh) said the pipe involved in the explosion was not fully supported by the soil around it due to cyclic loading, causing a weakness in the welded joint that broke apart and started the fire.

The pipe had failed, releasing gas, and friction between the pipe's broken metal segments caused the fire, said Dosh Petroleum Safety Division director Husdin Che Amat.

Amirudin announced the formation of a special committee tasked with suggesting follow-up measures as well as preventative steps.

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