SHAH ALAM, Sept 29 — The Selangor government today appointed an independent committee of eight to investigate the April 1 gas pipeline explosion in Putra Heights.
State executive councillor for disaster management Mohd Najwan Halimi said Selangor established the committee to ensure transparency and public safety are prioritised in addressing any incident involving critical infrastructure.
“This independent committee comprises technical experts, academics, and industry professionals who have no interest with any party directly involved in the incident.
“The committee members’ appointments received approval from the State Executive Council, and the investigation will start immediately (and continue) for one or two months until the investigation report is completed,” he said at a press conference at the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Building here today.
Najwan said the committee’s main task is to investigate the cause of the fire and gas pipeline explosion, assess the pipeline operator’s compliance with standard operating procedures, and recommend improvements to prevent such incidents.
“The investigation report will be presented by the committee to the state government,” he said.
Najwan also assured the investigation will be done comprehensively, independently and transparently, and prioritise the people’s safety and welfare.
The April 1 explosion and subsequent fire destroyed 81 houses nearby, damaged another 81, affected but didn’t burn 57, and left the remaining 218 homes unaffected, including units in Kampung Tengah, Puchong.
The eight members of the independent committee are:
1. Chairman: Khamarrul Azahari Razak (Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology Disaster Preparedness and Prevention Centre senior research fellow)
2. Datuk Mohd Taufik Haron (Ikram Works Sdn Bhd director)
3. Assoc Prof Mohd Zahirasri Mohd Tohir (Universiti Putra Malaysia Faculty of Engineering)
4. Mohamad Anuri Ghazali (Geo Mag Engineering managing director)
5. Muhamad Her Jantan (Institution of Engineers Malaysia, Board of Engineers Malaysia)
6. Abdul Hamid Akub (Malaysian Institute of Planners vice-president)
7. Juzaili Azmi (UGEO Solutions Sdn Bhd senior geophysicist)
8. Shahronizam Noordin (National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health’s Executive Director Office special duties manager)
