Building standard for earthquake risk management

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KOTA KINABALU: The Local Government and Housing Ministry is drafting a building standard for earthquake risk management, to be imposed on future building constructions in Sabah.

Its minister, Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, said the state government is currently in discussion with the Malaysian Standards Department (JSM) on possible collaborative researches for developing a comprehensive guideline.

He informed the State Assembly that this is in response to the 6.0 magnitude earthquake which caused extensive damage to government and commercial buildings in Ranau, apart from killing 18 climbers and guides on Mount Kinabalu on June 5.

“JSM has already allocated RM200,000 last month for conducting related activities, including sending officers on learning trips to countries where such standards are already implemented, to identify suitable benchmark that can be adopted in Sabah.

“My ministry, through the Urban and Regional Planning Department, has also conducted a one-day seminar on ‘Earthquake Resistant Building Guideline’ earlier this month. This proposed standard is in line with the government’s approach of ‘People First’ in protecting life, property and landscape from the damaging impact of earthquake,”he said in his winding up speech.

On another development, Hajiji said his ministry had also set up a House Prices Re-evaluation Committee to determine the construction costs of houses in Sabah and to ensure that the selling prices do not exceed the 30 per cent profit margin rule.

He informed that the ministry will be engaging the Royal Institute of Survey Malaysia (RISM) Sabah for help in evaluating the cost of the houses. He added they have also been discussing with the RISM Sabah to carry out research on the factors contributing to the increase of housing prices in the State.

“All this while we have been informed that the escalating housing price was due to a mix of factors, namely the expensive land prices, cost of preparing development plan, utility contribution and increase in the prices of construction material and labour cost, apart from profit maximizing by the developers.

“It is hoped that the research would help the government identify exactly what are the actual factors, and consequently take suitable measures towards ensuring that housing prices are reasonable, to make it easier for the low income to own a house,”he said.

Hajiji added the research shall take a year to be completed and the findings would be made public once available.