IPOH: The Perak government plans to standardise safety measures for 13 houses of worship located on limestone hills.
Perak Cave and Limestone Area Development Special Committee member Tan Kar Hing said a pilot project had been initiated at the Ju Bao Yan Thai Buddhist Temple in Simpang Pulai towards this.
"There are 13 temples located on government land that require gazetting and four specific requirements must be met.
"The first requirement involves a surveyor providing a site plan. Secondly, a safety report must be produced by a consultant.
"The third requirement is the appointment of safety officers, and the fourth involves securing insurance providers," he said after a safety course for limestone hill worship sites at a hotel here today.
Tan, who is Gopeng member of parliament, said two requirements had already been fulfilled for the pilot project.
"For this initiative, surveyors have conducted site assessments to determine cave dimensions and nearby forest areas.
"In terms of safety, consultants have been engaged to assess potential risks such as rockfalls, and propose effective mitigation strategies to prevent such incidents."
He said this pilot project was important as there was a lack of clear policies regarding development in limestone caves.
"We also want to avoid rockfall incidents, like the one recently where a person was killed."
It was reported on April 9 that a man was killed by a falling rock at the Qing Xing Ling Leisure and Cultural Village in Taman Saikat.
District police chief Assistant Commissioner Abang Zainal Abidin Abang Ahmad said police were alerted to the incident at 11.30am.
Initial investigations showed that the victim, a 44-year-old tourist bus driver, had taken tourists from Vietnam to Ipoh for sightseeing.