IPOH: The state government will improve the level of safety at places of worship in caves, says Gopeng MP Tan Kar Hing.
He added that there are 13 such temples in the Kinta District and said that a pilot project would be carried out at the Ju Bao Yan Thai Buddhist temple in Simpang Pulai.
"The 13 temples built on government land need to fulfill four requirements in order to be gazetted," said Tan, who is a member of the Perak Cave and Limestone Area Development Special Committee.
He added that the four steps are for a surveyor to provide a plan, to have a safety report and officers and insurance providers.
Tan said this after attending a course for safety officers for places of worship at limestone caves
He then said that prior to this, there was no policy for development at limestone caves.
“So the committee is starting from scratch from the plans, rockfall simulation and so forth and the pilot project will be a guide after this. This will be a stepping stone to move forward in terms of safety,” he added.
On April 8, a 44-year-old man was killed after a rock fell on his head at the popular Qing Xin Ling Leisure and Cultural Village in Taman Saikat here.
The victim was from Pangkor and he was bringing a group of tourists from Vietnam to visit the city.