KUALA TERENGGANU, 20 February: The 2,500 tonne roof of Sultan Mizan Stadium has collapsed – again – at 11.30 this morning after reconstruction of the 2009-damaged steel structure went wrong, injuring five workers.

The RM292 million stadium had first collapsed in 2009, but no parties were found to be responsible. According to a confidential investigation report by the Public Works Department on the matter, the collapse was due to “serious engineering flaws, shoddy workmanship, inferior materials and lack of expertise”.

The principal architect for the project was Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah Raja Ahmad of Senibahri Architecture. The cost for reconstructing the collapsed structure was borne by the main contractors namely, Bina Struktur Sdn Bhd, Emarcon Sdn Bhd and Genggam Mercu Sdn Bhd.

Writing in his blog in 2009, DAP’s Aspan Alias had pinned the stadium collapse on corruption, cronies and cutting corners. (1)

The Malaysian Anti-corruption Commission (MACC) had commenced a probe into the circumstances of the collapse, including the construction cost increase from the original RM191 million tender to the actual completion price of RM294 million. However, the results of the probe have not been revealed.

Five workers injured  

In today’s incident, the workers had been trapped under the structure, but were later removed and sent to the Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital. One worker broke his leg while another two sustained injuries to the knees and hips. Two others with light injuries were sent home after outpatient treatment.

Media reported Terengganu deputy police chief Datuk Hamzah Md Jalil as saying that the workers were in the midst of taking down the old roof support structure when it collapsed.

“However, the scaffolding supporting the steel structure could not sustain the 137 metre-long structure’s weight. This caused the middle section of the structure, which was being removed, to fall, causing the other sections to follow suit in a domino-like manner,” Hamzah reportedly said. -The Rocket