SIBU, Feb 14 2026: The Ministry of Public Health, Housing and Local Government has ordered a person, who submitted the original plan of a row of eight collapsed shophouses, to identify and report the cause of the structural failure.
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Its Deputy Minister Michael Tiang Ming Tee said, under the Building By-laws, the person must submit the report within seven days from the date of the collapse early yesterday morning.
“We were informed that the original person was present at this meeting and will submit a further report within the specified period or present it at the next meeting,” he told reporters yesterday after chairing a meeting on the collapse of the shophouses in Jalan Pahlawan.
He added that if the investigation finds that the building is no longer structurally safe, the authorities will declare it a dangerous building and subsequently order the demolition work to be carried out by the owner.
“The owner needs to demolish and clear the debris of the area before the road can be reopened. Whether they want to rebuild or not, that is up to the owner because it is private land,” he said.
He said the duration of the area closure depends on the results of the investigation and technical decisions, but the authorities have assured that further action will be taken as soon as possible for the safety of the public.
Tiang, who is also Pelawan state legislative member (SLM), said a follow-up on the Jalan Pahlawan shophouse collapse incident will be held on February 23 to examine the technical report to be submitted by the Public Works Department (JKR) as well as the views of relevant experts.
He said further decisions including the duration of the area closure and actions against the building structure involved will depend on the results of the report.
“We need to ensure that all aspects of public safety remain a priority following the collapse incident early this morning, with the surrounding area now completely closed until further notice.
“We understand that there are business interests and valuables still in the building.
“However, safety is the number one priority, we cannot take risks,” he said.
He added based on observations and videos that have gone viral, the structure of the building is still not stable and cracking sounds can still be heard in the rubble.
He said roads in the surrounding area have been closed, including to heavy vehicles, to ensure that no members of the public approach the danger zone.
The action is acknowledged to have caused inconvenience to nearby premises operators, including a restaurant next to the building.
“We know this is inconvenient for traders and tenants, but we are very grateful because when the collapse occurred early this morning, no injuries were reported. This is something we should be grateful for,” he said.
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