Lack of fitters among reasons for high price for gas pipe works in Miri, says MP

MIRI (Aug 14): The high cost of installing gas pipes for residential areas and business premises is due to lack of fitters and mandatory gas detector requirement.

In highlighting this worrying situation, Miri MP Chiew Choon Man said he had received many complaints regarding the matter, and suggested that steps should be taken by the stakeholders to address this issue.

“The cause of this problem is due to the need for safety equipment such as gas detectors. Also an important factor is the lack of certified gas fitters in Miri,” he pointed out in his Facebook post yesterday.

The MP said he and his entourage had paid a courtesy visit on the Faculty of Engineering of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) to examine the implementation and organisation of the gas course conducted at the institution, as it was crucial in meeting the current industry standards and requirements.

They also learned about the administrative procedures and regulations related to the programme, including management procedures, curriculum, and the applied evaluation system.

Chiew said he had set his eyes on finding a solution to the high costs in Miri by roping in the stakeholders to address this issue.

He looks forward to working with Unimas and some agencies in Miri to offer gas-fitter training courses here, to produce more competent gas fitters to meet the needs of the local market, and also to stabilise the price of gas pipe installation here, apart from creating more job opportunities for the locals.

“I will continue to cooperate with Unimas and other related institutions in Miri in order to provide gas technology training courses here,” said the parliamentarian.