THE Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) Johor has issued two prohibition notices and ordered the immediate closure of the site following a fatal crane structure collapse at an electricity generation facility in Pontian on Saturday.
In a statement, DOSH Johor said it received a report on the incident at 12.10pm and promptly deployed an investigation team to the scene.
“Based on preliminary information received, the incident involved five contractor workers who were carrying out maintenance work at the facility.
“During the activity, the crane structure collapsed, resulting in two workers being killed, while three others were injured and taken to hospital for further treatment,” the statement said.
DOSH said further investigations would be conducted to determine the exact cause of the accident.
“Legal action will be taken against the responsible parties if any violations are found under the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994.
“Under the Act, the maximum penalty for an employer is a fine of up to RM500,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or both, if convicted,” it said.
The department stressed that it takes all workplace accidents seriously and urged employers to be more vigilant in ensuring occupational safety and health compliance.
Earlier on Saturday, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof called for a thorough, transparent and comprehensive investigation into the crane collapse and fire at the Malakoff Power Plant along Jalan Tanjung Bin, Kukup, Pontian.
Fadillah, who is also Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, said in a statement that relevant authorities, particularly DOSH and the Royal Malaysia Police, should work together with the Energy Commission and other technical agencies to identify the root cause of the incident.
Previously, Pontian Baru Fire and Rescue Station chief Assistant Fire Superintendent Mahadir Mamat was reported as saying that two workers were killed and three others injured when a crane lifting coal collapsed at the Tanjung Bin Power Plant at about 1pm on Saturday.
The victims were extricated from the debris at around 3pm before the bodies were handed over to the police for further action. The three injured local male workers were initially taken to Hospital Pontian and later transferred to Hospital Sultanah Aminah for treatment.
Meanwhile, the Johor Fire and Rescue Department is investigating a fire that occurred during the crane collapse at the Malakoff Power Plant.
Assistant Director of the Johor Fire and Rescue Operations Division, Senior Fire Superintendent I Muhammad Tarmizi Md Jaafar, said the investigation was focused on a fire involving a four-wheel-drive vehicle at the site during the incident.
“The fire department is completing its report on the fire incident. The operation, which lasted more than four hours starting at 1.32pm yesterday, focused primarily on search and rescue efforts as well as extinguishing the fire,” he said when contacted.
Earlier, a total of 15 officers and personnel from the Pontian Baru and Pekan Nanas fire stations were dispatched to the location after receiving an emergency call at 1.01pm.
At the same time, Pontian district police chief Superintendent Hadzrat Hussien Mion Hussien said police were still awaiting the full investigation findings from the Fire and Rescue Department, as well as a complete report from the management of Malakoff Tanjung Bin.
The bodies of the two subcontracted workers killed in the incident were later claimed by their families after post-mortem examinations were completed at the Forensic Unit of Hospital Pontian on Sunday afternoon.
The body of Muhammad Alfarid Ahmad, 19, was claimed by his family at about 1pm and taken to Tanah Merah, Kelantan.
Meanwhile, the body of Muhammad Amaluddin Hisamudin, 22, was claimed approximately 45 minutes later and brought to the Gelang Patah Islamic cemetery for burial.
Scenes of grief unfolded outside the hospital’s forensic unit as about 50 family members, relatives and acquaintances gathered while waiting for the post-mortem process to conclude.
The incident also left three other victims, who were also subcontracted workers, receiving treatment at Hospital Sultanah Aminah, with two of them reported to be in critical condition. - December 14, 2025
