Deserted shophouses a threat to motorists

2010/02/09

PRITAM SINGH, Ipoh

AS one approaches Ipoh from the south along the trunk road, one passes through a small township called Kampung Kepayang. Both sides of the trunk road are lined by 30 or so abandoned, dilapidated double-storey shoplots. These have been in this sorry state for more that 30 years.

Occasionally, planks, pieces of wood and masonry that have been dislodged from passing lorries can be seen lying by the roadside.

These shoplots pose a serious threat to motorists plying this busy stretch.

They are on the verge of collapsing. If, or rather when, they do collapse on passing vehicles, we would witness a tragedy like the one that occurred in Fair Park, Ipoh, last year when shops collapsed on passing vehicles, killing two young men.

This time, there will be more victims because this stretch is very busy.

In the typical Malaysian way, nobody believes in prevention. Rather, we wait for some incident to happen.

Then there would be public and media frenzy. Accusations would be hurled and fingers pointed. After a week or two, the incident would be forgotten and life would go on as usual, waiting for the next incident to occur.

We just never learn.