Just four days to the 15th anniversary of the Highland Towers tragedy, disaster again struck early this morning in Bukit Antarabangsa when a landslide killed at least four people, seven missing, 15 injured, 14 bungalows destroyed and 4,000 people evacuated from the area.
Parliament, when it reconvenes on Wednesday, should have an urgent debate on why no lessons have been learnt from the 1993 Highland Towers Tragedy which claimed 48 lives when its Condominium Block 1 collapsed so as to prevent the recurrence of today’s tragedy.
I still remember vividly the harrowing presence of former Deputy Prime Minister, Tun Musa Hitam, when I visited the Highland Towers Condominium collapse site in Ulu Klang on the night of 11th December 1993, as he lost his son Rashid Carlos who together with his wife Rozita perished in the tragedy.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) should also initiate an urgent inquiry as to why the relevant government authorities have failed to learn past disasters and tragedies.
I will visit the Bukit Antarabangsa with DAP MPs tomorrow.
(Speech at the DAP Balakong Branch’s 1,700-People dinner in Balakong, Selangor on Saturday, 6th December 2008)