I came across this report by Bernama yesterday in which Penang’s chief minister, Dr Koh Tsu Koon, stressed that the on-going repairs on the Penang Bridge are routine and nothing to worry about.
According to the report, Koh said the repair work has nothing to do with any crack as alleged by certain quarters. “The bridge is already 22 years old. So, repair works are normal routines to replace the cables and so on.”
There is no emergency, he added when commenting on a issue raised at the State Legislative Assembly. The Sungai Dua assemblyman Jasmin Mohamad said he had received “information” about the cracks from several parties.
Koh said: “We have not been informed of any cracks on the bridge. If there is, it doesn’t affect the structure. If it affects the structure, it’ll be an emergency. If there are problems with the bridge, we need to be informed. So far, have not been informed.”
Well, at least this is some comfort for the thousands of motorists who use the bridge for their daily commute from the mainland to the island and vice-versa. I don’t know whether I count as one of the “several parties” because I had blogged about this way back on 2 Aug 2007.
But I stand firm by my call that the bridge must be monitored constantly and a 24-hour electronic monitoring system must be put in place to detect warning signs. There mustn’t be any compromise. I don’t want any disaster here.
UPDATE: For the record, Works Minister S Samy Vellu came out today to say that the Penang Bridge is safe and free of any serious cracks which can render the bridge unsafe. According to Bernama again, he said the appointed engineering consultant had confirmed the bridge structure to be strong and that it was safe.
“People don’t have to be afraid to use the bridge. The piling work is being done carefully according to safety standards. Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd also monitors the routine maintenance work on the bridge to ensure its safety.”