Pipe leak, slope collapse and a bigger warning for ageing buildings

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Kritik
29 Sep 2026
24
SubCategory | Public Sentiment

Pipe leak, slope collapse and a bigger warning for ageing buildings

By Harith Kamal

PETALING JAYA: A leaking underground pipe may have triggered the slope collapse at Damai Perdana Apartments in Cheras, but the incident has exposed a wider and often overlooked risk facing Malaysia’s ageing buildings – critical systems could deteriorate silently until a failure puts lives and properties at risk.

Malaysian Association of Facility Management vicepresident Dr Mohd Mazhar Mohd Marzuki said the incident should not be taken as proof that the building’s age or maintenance caused the collapse, as any such conclusion must be supported by technical findings.

However, he said it should serve as a reminder that keeping a building safe means looking beyond its concrete frame to the pipes, pumps, wiring, drainage and other systems that keep it functioning.

The incident last week involved the collapse of a slope about 4.57m high near Block D, prompting authorities to evacuate 45 units involving 82 residents as a safety precaution. Residents were placed at a temporary relief centre while authorities assessed the affected area and the safety of the building.

A subsequent inspection identified two suspected leak points beneath the walkway, with underground pipe leakage later identified as the likely cause of the slope failure.

Repairs have been ordered, with residents expected to return subject to completion of the work and safety assessments.

Mazhar said the incident highlighted an often-overlooked reality: buildings do not age as a single structure.

He added that electrical installations, lifts, pumps, water supply, drainage, air-conditioning and fire-protection systems all have different maintenance requirements and service lives.

He also said the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers’ 2020 tables, for example, give indicative reference service lives of 10 years for automated controls and sensors, 15 years for mains cold-water booster sets and 20 years for plastic or nonmetallic mains-water pipes.

“These are indicative economic life figures, not maximum safe lifespans. “There is no universal fifteenth year at which a building suddenly becomes old; owners should instead establish what remains original, its condition, and whether renewal has been planned and funded.”

Mazhar said the challenge extends across Malaysia’s substantial existing building stock. He added that the National Property Information Centre’s first-half 2026 data recorded about 6.55 million residential units, 1,859 purpose-built office buildings and 995 shopping complexes.

He said the data also recorded another 38 office buildings and 26 shopping complexes in the incoming supply.

“Although the figures do not identify the age or condition of existing properties, they demonstrate why attention should not be concentrated on new development alone.

“Every completed project creates a long-term commitment to inspection, maintenance and eventual renewal.”

He also said past incidents show the consequences of failures beyond a building’s main structure, including the 2008 Bukit Antarabangsa landslide and 2016 Sultanah Aminah Hospital fire, which killed five and six individuals respectively.

Mazhar said such incidents should not be interpreted as evidence that ageing itself causes disasters, but they demonstrate the consequences that could follow failures in supporting infrastructure and building services.

He added that Malaysia already has statutory requirements covering areas including building inspections, electrical installations, lifts, fire-safety equipment and strata properties.

He said the issue is ensuring the requirements translate into coordinated action rather than becoming isolated inspections or certificates.

“An inspection report must lead to action where defects are identified, and maintenance arrangements should clarify responsibility, priorities and funding.”

Mazhar said for owners and managers, this means maintaining updated asset records, assessing their condition, prioritising risks and setting aside realistic budgets for maintenance and eventual renewal.

He also said technology should be used to improve the management of existing buildings, rather than focusing solely on new developments.

Source: pipe-leak-slope-collapse-and-a-bigger-warning-for-ageing-buildings

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