PROGRESSIVE Democratic Party (PDP) president Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing has called for an urgent meeting with industrial plant operators in the Sarawak Samalaju Heavy Industry Estate to review safety and security measures after another explosion-fire incident.
The Bintulu MP, who is also the Federal Tourism, Culture and Arts Minister, today directed the local authorities in Bintulu to meet all the managers of industrial factories in Samalaju which is located about 100 km from Bintulu.
"I want to personally attend this meeting which must be convened as soon as possible.
"The rakyat is worried as this latest incident (on Sunday afternoon) is the third such explosion-fire incident in Samalaju this year alone.
"Safety measures must be overhauled and improvement imposed thoroughly," he said in a press statement.
PDP is a component of the Gabungan Parti Sarawak state government coalition.
DAP Bintulu information chief Chiew Chan Yew yesterday questioned why local political elected representatives had remained silent over the incidents.
"The explosions and fire took place yesterday (Sunday) afternoon.
"We are worried about the environmental impacts.
"Though there were no reported injuries, that incident is cause for concern as it is the third such explosion in the Samalaju industrial estate this year alone," he said in a press statement.
Chiew asked why the elected politicians, local authorities and state ministries had remained silent about this latest case.
The Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department confirmed there were no reported injuries in the incident.
It was only two months ago on Sept 9 that a fire broke out at an aluminium processing plant in the Samalaju heavy industrial estate causing an explosion that ripped apart a processing complex.
On Aug 16, another fire at Samalaju Industrial Estate had caused an explosion that killed two workers and injured eight others. - November 19, 2024
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