AUDREY DERMAWAN
GEORGE TOWN: A restaurant owner was left shocked after discovering a sinkhole large enough to fit a Perodua Kancil near his premises on Jalan Burma.
The man, who only wanted to be identified as Cheah, in his 70s, said he first noticed large puddles of water around 2.30am today.
Cheah said it was weird as only his side was wet and not the other parts.
“I thought it was weird as it was only wet this side and not the other side. I thought it was only raining on our side.
“When I woke up at 10am, I was shocked to find the massive manhole, which can possibly fit a Kancil car,” he said when met on site.
Cheah said a repair work was conducted nearby not too long ago.
“Now we see the new sinkhole, an even bigger one. We hope there will be a permanent solution once and for all,” he added.
Earlier today, state Local Government Committee chairman H’ng Mooi Lye told the New Straits Times that a broken sewer pipe was the cause of the sinkhole.
(Hyperlink: https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2025/09/1278263/sinkhole-shuts-down-jalan-burma-penang )
Meanwhile, the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) is awaiting a full technical report from Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) to determine the extent of the sinkhole at Jalan Burma and the necessary repair works.
MBPP councillor Benji Ang said they received a report on the sinkhole around 10am today, and both the engineering and enforcement teams were dispatched to the site immediately.
“Following an initial assessment, our engineers identified that the fault may be linked to underground infrastructure managed by IWK.
“Their technicians are now on-site, working closely with our engineering team to investigate and resolve the issue.
“As a safety precaution, the affected access route from the Octopus Bridge leading towards Jalan Burma was fully closed after discussions between MBPP and the police.
“While limited access was briefly maintained earlier via Jalan Transfer, we ultimately decided that a full closure was necessary to prevent any potential risk to motorists or pedestrians,” he said at the scene.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
