‘Make it mandatory to have insurance coverage for mountain workers’

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PENAMPANG: Society of Hope chairperson, Christina Liew, has called on the government to make it mandatory for the relevant authorities or its GLCs to take out insurance for those whose work involves Mount Kinabalu.

“Whether as mountain guides, porters or anything related to working in Mount Kinabalu resort activities. These workers must at least be covered under group personal accident or alternatively for those that are under the employment of tour companies, to be covered as skilled workers with a workman’s compensation, Socso, EPF and insurance,” she said.

That way, should a similar disaster such as the one that occurred on June 5 were to happen again, at least they or their families are protected from loss of income for months, Christina said, at a fund raising dinner organised by the Society of Hope for the families of the mountain guides, who died in the 5.9 magnitude earthquake that hit Kundasang on June 5, and the Kinabalu Mountain Guides Association.

Liew, who is also Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sabah deputy chairperson, also called on the local government to ensure that all future building plans are designed with Euro Code so that there will be anti-quake features in them.

“Many countries are adapting this anti-quake feature in their building design and I was made to understand that Selangor and Terengganu have started doing this. I hope Sabah will also be doing the same, especially in the design of high rise buildings,” she said.

On the tragic deaths of Valerian Joannes, Ricky Masirin, Robbi Sapinggi and Joseph Salungin, Liew told their family members present at the dinner that they are not forgotten.

“We honour them and pay tribute to their bravery and courage. We are very proud of them… they are truly the sons of the soil,” she said, and stressed that the government should bestow some kind of official award to the four unsung heroes who lost their lives while saving others. Their bravery and courage must not be forgotten,” she pointed out.

During the dinner Liew, together with PKR Sabah chairman, Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin, witnessed by Sabah PKR leaders, handed over cash donations to representatives of the mountain guides killed in the disaster which claimed a total of 18 lives.