Rewired of Kampung Melayu Flats

As reported in The Star

Rewired to reduce fire risks
By CHRISTOPHER TAN
christan@thestar.com.my

THE RM1.13mil rewiring works along the corridors of Block A and B of the Kampung Melayu low-cost flats in Air Itam, Penang, are now completed.

State Town and Country Planning, Housing and Arts Committee chairman Wong Hon Wai said the wiring works which included the rewiring of 496 units in Block A and changing of the electrical switch box in the units of Block A, started eight-months ago and were completed in June.

“There are however 48 units in Block A and five units of shops in the same area whose owners refused to undergo some rewiring,” he said.

Wong, who is also the Air Itam assemblyman, said the owners might have recently changed or rewired their units on their own and thus, felt the move unnecessary.

“The state is concerned over the residents’ welfare since the wiring has not been maintained since the units were first completed in the 1970s.
Feeling safer: Steven and his wife Santana Mary, 64, taking a closer look at the new electrical switch box in their unit at the Kampung Melayu flats

“We rewired the units in Block A first because the block was built in the early 1970s while Block B was built in the late 1970s.”

Wong said the state had decided to do the rewiring for the two blocks of flats to avoid the risk of fire.

“As the number of electrical appliances increases in every household, it is important to have a safe wiring network installed,” he said during the handing over of the project’s maintenance work from Public Works Department to the State Secretariat Housing Department at the low-cost flats on Sunday.

Wong also said claims that the Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng had sidelined the Malays here was a lie.

“The area in Kampung Melayu consists of 75% Malay, 20% Chinese and 5% Indian. This project is an example that we have been taking care of the people’s welfare.

“The state treasurer had also approved the repainting of Block A and B of the Kampung Melayu flats whereby the state will bear 80% of the cost of painting.”

Private companies had banked in a sum of RM80,000 to the State Secretariat as part of their corporate social responsibility for the repainting of the flats.

Wong said the Penang Development Corporation would be providing him an implementation timeline on the repainting works in about two weeks and the repainting was scheduled to commence after Hari Raya.

Retiree Steven Joseph, 70, said the move to rewire the units in Kampung Melayu flats was a good one.

“We can now feel secure that there will be less risk of a fire due to wiring complications,” he said.


甘榜馬來由組屋 開齋節後展開粉刷

2011-07-24 18:06

■檳州公共工程局代表費扎（左一）移交工程竣工證書予檳州房屋局主任諾莎達（右一），由黃漢偉（中）見證。

（檳城24日訊）檳州政府將在開齋節後展開首個組屋粉刷工程，檳州房屋、城市及鄉村規劃委員會主席黃漢偉指出，首個工程就是阿依淡甘榜馬來由組屋，該工程預料在明年初竣工。

他說，在其穿針引線下，州內一間私人企業公司願意贊助出資20%的粉刷費用，加上州政府早前承諾願意代為出資的80%費用，意味居民，在不需付出分文的情況下，他們的組屋即可重新粉刷。
他說，這間私人企業公司早在今年6月已把贊助費用存入州政府的銀行戶口，因此這項粉刷工程勢在必行。

他透露，檳州發展機構官員日前已完成考察，而且也已擬定時間表，即在開齋節後開始這項粉刷工程。

在這之前，檳州首席部長林冠英宣佈，目前全檳擁有1萬5000單位的組屋，如果組屋居民想要重新粉刷組屋的話，州政府願意代為出資80%的粉刷費用，至於其餘的20%（即80%:20%方案），則由當地居民承擔。有關方案是在檳州2010年財政預算案下撥款。

甘榜馬來由組屋區共分為A和B座，A座組屋擁有496單位，B座則有470單位，至於居民的種族比例分別是巫裔75%、華裔20%及印裔佔5%。

詢及打鎗埔組屋粉刷工程的進度時，黃漢偉說，目前檳州發展機構與油漆公司正談著工程的細節，相信近期內會有結論。

他說，在州政府實行80%:20%方案時，除了建議居民承擔20%的組屋粉刷費用之際，當地的州議員也會積極尋求私人企業贊助，以讓當地居民從中受惠