MRT CEO resigns over construction site accident

SUNGAI BULOH: Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Corp chief executive officer Datuk Azhar Abdul Hamid (pix) has resigned over Monday night's accident at the MRT construction site in Kota Damansara.
"I have informed the Chairman of MRT Corp Tan Sri Ali Hamsa of my decision and I will be submitting my resignation letter to him later. I know my resignation will not bring the lives of the three workers back, but I believe it is the correct thing to do," said Azhar during a press conference at the Kota Damansara MRT project site today.
Azhar said he hopes this incident will serve as a lesson for those in the construction industry on ensuring safety at construction sites.
"I have been constantly stressed on the needs to improve on the safety standards in the construction industry since the first day I became the MRT Corp CEO.
"Unfortunately, this incident showed that safety standards may have been breached and that has brought about my resignation," said Azhar.
Meanwhile, the Director of Stakeholder Relations and Land Management, Haris Fadzilah Hassan will assume the role of acting CEO until a successor is appointed by the government.
In the 8.30pm incident yesterday, 650 tonnes of concrete at the construction site of an overhead rail passage of the Sungai Buloh – Kajang MRT line had collapsed, resulting in the deaths of three Bangladeshi nationals - Mohamad Faruk Khan, 38, Mohammad Alauddin Mollik, 34, and Mohammad Elahi Hossain, 27.
It is learnt that the three victims worked for MRT Corp's sub-contractors.