PWD told to check hidden structures
30/04/2007 NST

Engineers checking the ceiling of the Entrepreneur and Co-operative Development Ministry multi-purpose hall which collapsed last Saturday morning.

PUTRAJAYA: The scope of maintenance for government buildings and offices in the federal administrative capital should be expanded to cover not only physical but also "hidden" structures.

The proposal came from Entrepreneur and Co-operative Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin after the building housing his ministry was flooded due to a broken pipe on Saturday.

Khaled, after inspecting the damage to the hall of the building yesterday, said the Public Works Department should consider his proposal.

"It is only appropriate for PWD to look into this as at present, maintenance is only carried out on static or physical structures.

"We are only able to detect and see the surface only. What is happening inside the structures or those hidden within the ceiling, we do not know."
Khaled said preliminary findings showed that an iron pipe linked to the sprinklers had broke.

As a result, water seepage occurred, causing the ceiling to collapse.

"Putrajaya Holdings will carry out an in-depth investigation to ascertain the exact cause of the incident and this will take quite some time."

He said he did not understand why maintenance carried out regularly at the building failed to trace the defective pipe.

"Why is it so? I hope PWD will study my proposal so that we can avert similar incidents from happening in the future. It should also study the need for scheduled inspections of all government complexes and offices.

"We do not want those working in government buildings to feel insecure," he said