KUCHING: The onus is on shophouse owners to renovate their premises should the need arise by engaging engineers or builders.
In pointing this out Batu Kitang assemblyman Datuk Lo Khere Chiang said the submission of structural drawings to the council is only for record purposes.
He was responding to Stampin MP Chong Chieng Jen complaining of a slow reply from the council after a report on the safety of two-storey shophouse buildings here was submitted.
Lo stressed that the council engineers do not go through the structural design of professional engineers who submit their structural drawings to the council.
“The integrity of the structure rests with the design engineer who is responsible for his structural design during his lifetime.
“In the case of these two-storey shophouses which have been in existence for the past 40 years or more, I notice that many of them have either been repaired or renovated to meet the needs of their businesses.
“The tenant who has complained to Chong but prefers not to move out of their rented premises nor to renovate their shophouse leaves me completely perplexed,” he said.
He questioned why Chong was not advising the tenant who complained to move out or renovate the shophouse.
“This is more perplexing to me. However, whatever the agenda of Chong in this case is, I urge him not to confuse the public and waste everybody’s time.
“All Chong needs to do is to advise the particular tenant to move out or to repair her premises.
“We are all mature and sensible enough to understand that if a two storey building is dangerous, we should not continue to rent the place and endanger our own lives,” he said.
