Safety Concerns at Genting's Mall

Safety concerns over apartments under construction above mall
Meena Lakshana

KUALA LUMPUR: A new mall in Jalan Genting Klang, Setapak, which has been opened to the public for more than a month, has come under criticism by shoppers who fear for their safety.

They claim the KL Festival City shopping centre is unsafe because it is located below serviced apartments that are being built.

A few of the shoppers contacted The Malay Mail to voice their concerns.

“When I was last there, I felt quite scared because I didn’t know if the construction was safe or whether part of the structure would collapse,” said Letchumy, 26, who lives nearby.

Salesman Jonathan Lee, 45, said: “I am concerned if there would be another Jaya Supermarket incident where the building in Petaling Jaya collapsed and killed several workers.

“Just because a developer gets the necessary approvals from the authorities doesn’t mean continuing construction is the right thing to do.”

When The Malay Mail visited the project, it was observed that construction was taking place above the mall, with the left side of the building cordoned off for several floors.

Although the areas were sealed off by wooden boards, there was no explanation or indication on what was going on behind them.

Kuala Lumpur City Hall clarified the procedure of awarding approvals to shopping complexes before the entire development was completed was a norm.

Mayor Tan Sri Ahmad Fuad Ismail said they had given a similar approval to Pavilion KL in Jalan Bukit Bintang when the building was being built.

“Developers cannot wait four to five years for the entire development project to be completed before opening.”

A City Hall corporate planning department spokesman said KL Festival City was issued a certificate of fitness (CF) after it was completed.

“We looked into the safety aspects of the apartments’ development above the mall,” the spokesman said.

“The project developer, architects and engineers had explained their safety measures and we were satisfied with what they had implemented.”