BENTONG: A holistic and comprehensive future study on the safety aspect of Kampung Baru Karak and its adjacent areas should be done, says Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.
This comes after a fire destroyed more than 50 houses and eight shops - the largest and most devastating fire in the small town that left over a hundred people homeless.
The King said the study, which could be conducted in the future when works to help the victims rebuild their homes were completed, are necessary for the future.
"If possible, I would like to make a call to consider a holistic and comprehensive study in the future for the safety aspect of the entire areas here to be reviewed... so that this place can be developed and maintained as best as it can.
"This is especially with the current safety considerations like the close proximity between the houses, electrical wiring and water supply piping, and fire hydrants.
"We cannot just rely on the infrastructure available now. We need to study them for the future safety of the area here.
"I hope the relevant administration, parties and non-profit groups can come forward with more ideas on this," he said after visiting the Chinese new village here on Friday (Nov 5).
Al-Sultan Abdullah and his consort Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah were on a visit to the village to meet victims who had lost their homes in the fire.
They were given a briefing of the fire incident by Bentong district officer Datuk Mohd Zulkifli Hashim after arriving at the village.
They then had a walkabout at the fire scene before arriving a the village’s multipurpose hall, which was about 500m away to meet the victims.
During the walkabout, many residents had a pleasant surprise catching a glimpse of the royal couple. Many of them, who caught wind of the royal visit, were waiting outside their home with their mobile phones to take pictures of the King and Queen.
Also present were Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, who heads the Special Task Force for the Welfare of Karak Fire Victims and MCA veterans Tan Sri Lim Ah Lek and Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy, who both have been instrumental in getting the necessary resources to help the victims.
In his briefing, Liow said the task force, together with a dedicated professional team, had come up with a comprehensive plan to rebuild the village.
However, since it was going to be a brownfield project where existing work and structures were already there, he said some requirements under the bylaws were unable to be met due to limited land.
"For example, for normal housing, the minimum built area is 1,000sq ft, or 20’ x 50’. But in the new village, we don’t have so much land.
"That’s why I have suggested to the state government and agencies to exempt the project for some conditions so that the rebuilding plan can go on smoothly.
"Rebuilding the houses is an important stage and we need cooperation from all agencies to make it happen," he said.
Despite the exemptions, Liow stressed that the plan did not compromise on the safety and comfort aspects of the houses, which now came in two designs - three-room (20'x37') and two-room (16'x30') according to the victims' original house size.
With the cooperation from the state government and agencies, he said the ground-breaking of the project was expected to take place early year, which was what the victims wanted as they had been living with relatives now.
"A total of 48 houses will be built for the total of 52 victims, as some of them have shared ownership.
"We will continue to work hard and cooperate with the state government, district office and local council, all of which have been helpful," he said.
On this, Al-Sultan Abdullah said he acknowledged Liow's concerns and believed the Pahang state government would consider granting the leeways and allow the rebuilding works to go on.
"We all know the history of this place and how every inch of the land is important to the victims and their families," he said, adding that Liow's concern should be considered so that the Fire and Rescue Department could continue to safeguard this place in the future.
The Agong also shared that he would like to be "reinvited" to the new village again when it was completed.
"I hope that when it is completed later, I will be invited here again so we can makan-makan bersama (eat together).
"Raja Permaisuri can cook something for us all, possibly if there are no more restrictions then," he said, drawing applause from the audience.
The King also reminded everyone to take care of their health by wearing a face mask.
"You must put on a face mask even when you’re at home. You only take it down when you need to speak to your wife," he quipped while sharing a cheeky grin with the Queen, much to the delight of the crowd.
Al-Sultan Abdullah also urged everyone to take the Covid-19 vaccine, which has proven to help us fight against getting infected with the virus.
Before leaving, the royal couple spent time mingling with the people in the new village.
On the night of Oct 1, 53 houses and eight shops went up in smoke in a fire at Kampung Baru Karak.
Then on Oct 3, another fire broke out at the nearby Kampung Sungai Karak, destroying three houses.
Liow, who is former Bentong MP, acted swiftly and reached out to the victims together with MCA veterans Lim and Chan, and set up a special task force to assist the victims.
He said the scope of the task force included serving as a communication bridge between the victims and the local authorities, coordinating the reconstruction work, launching fundraising campaigns, liaising on all technical issues in various professional fields involved in the reconstruction.
Then, a dedicated group consisting of professionals from architects and engineers to land surveyors and legal experts also came on board voluntarily to render their expertise to the victims at no charge.
Liow said the task force, which included all victims, would work closely with the professional team on the reconstruction and requirements.