SIBU: The Sarawak Government can use the collapse of eight shophouses along Jalan Pahlawan here as a case study to establish a better response mechanism for similar incidents or disasters in the future.
Deputy Minister for Public Health, Housing and Local Government, Datuk Michael Tiang Ming Tee, said the incident was rare and unprecedented in Sibu, with the relevant authorities, property owners and the public having never experienced such an occurrence before.
“The government can take the Jalan Pahlawan shophouse collapse as a case study and create a very good precedent for future reference.
“We do not have earthquakes here. But what if we were to have an earthquake and a similar situation occurred? How can the government machinery be immediately activated to provide assistance?
“I think this is a good case study for the authorities to learn from, particularly in terms of procedures, property matters and the investigation process,” he said.
Tiang said this at a press conference when two of the three lawyers for the eight shophouse owners called on him today to hand over a structural assessment report done by an expert on the incident.
The two lawyers were Boston Ho and Sii Yew Nei.
According to Tiang, the February 13, 2026 incident, had caused shock and concern among the affected owners, nearby businesses and the wider community.
Tiang said the Sarawak Government took the incident seriously and wanted lessons to be drawn from it to improve the handling of similar situations in the future.
He also welcomed the decision by the affected shop owners to engage experts to investigate the cause of the collapse.
“I am very glad that they have taken this initiative because it is very important.
“As far as I understand, they have to investigate the condition of the collapsed structures and also carry out further investigations after the demolition to determine the underlying cause of the collapse,” he said.
Tiang urged the public to be patient and allow the shop owners and relevant authorities to work together to resolve the matter.
On the rebuilding of the affected properties, he said the process should involve two components – rebuilding the shophouses, and restoring the related public infrastructure, including roads, drainage and car parks.
“As the local YB, I will use my position to assist the shop owners in their rebuilding efforts and help to ease their financial burden by using my fund for that,” he said.
Tiang said he had also approached several banks to explore the possibility of offering soft-loan packages to the affected owners.
“I believe the property itself provides good collateral. It is located in a prominent commercial area and remains a very valuable asset that could support a soft-loan package.
“I am not asking the banks to provide anything for free. I believe it would also be good for their corporate images if they could come forward and lend a helping hand. Banks need to be local enough to connect with and support their local communities,” he said.
Tiang also proposed a coordinated, one-stop approach involving the relevant government agencies to expedite the demolition and rebuilding process.
He said he would work with agencies, including Sibu Municipal Council (SMC), the Land and Survey Department, State Planning Authority, Sarawak Energy and Sibu Water Board, to facilitate the necessary approvals for the rebuilding works.
“If the shop owners need more time, we will give them time. If they require faster approval for their building and engineering plans, I will make sure that SMC does its best to expedite the approvals and the overall rebuilding process,” he said.
