BY AISYAH SUWARDI AND HAKIM HASSAN

Significant news of the year can be ascribed to the five elements of nature

AS 2017 comes to an end, it's fitting to look back at some of the events that have affected the property sector.

Whether you are a fan of feng shui or not, chances are you would have heard of the five elements of nature: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. The balance of these natural elements plays an important role in the home and living environment.

Let’s review some of the significant property news that can be attributed to the respective elements.

WATER 

Being a tropical country that experiences two monsoon seasons every year, Malaysia is used to heavy rainfall. On Nov 4, Penang experienced an overnight deluge that inundated many parts of the state. It was one of the worst natural disasters to hit the state in over 22 years.

Floodwaters rose to as high as one metre, claiming seven lives and forcing thousands of victims to seek temporary shelter at relief centres.

What to do if you live in a flood-prone area Here are some tips for the wet season:
• Prepare waterproof containers for valuables and important documents.

• Arrange for alternative accommodation on higher ground if you are living in a low-lying area.

• Empty the fridge and cupboards, and leave the doors slightly open when evacuating.

• Relocate electrical appliances to higher ground.

• Disconnect electrical appliances that cannot be moved. Flood recovery guide.

• Contact your insurance provider as soon as possible to report losses due to flood damage.

• Arrange for alternative accommodation and begin the process of restoring your home as soon as possible.

• Remove mud and other debris, check your gas and electricity supplies. Remove any damaged fixtures/fittings and furniture. Never touch a fallen electrical wire. Call the power company immediately.

• Practise good personal hygiene and wash your hands often. Wear waterproof boots and gloves to keep the flood water from touching your skin.

• Protect your health. Discard all food that might have been in contact with flood water. Do not use tap water directly for drinking, cooking or bathing after the flood. Boil the water and add water purifying tablets.

WOOD

Despite the general soft sentiment of the national economy, Malaysia External Trade Development Corp (Matrade) announced a surge of 22.6% in Malaysia’s total trade for the first eight months of 2017.

One of the notable sub-sectors that contributed to the positive figure is furniture export. Recognised for its high-quality wooden furniture, Malaysia has been among the top 10 largest furniture exporters in the world for several years.

“In 2016, amid the challenging global economic outlook, furniture exports continued to register a steady growth of 4.2% amounting to RM9.53bil, compared with 2015,” said International Trade and Industry (MITI) Minister II Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan.

With the recent hurricane that hit the United States and the Caribbean, wooden furniture exports are expected to increase further.

The abundance of raw materials, especially rubberwood, in Malaysia has enabled the furniture industry to develop strongly.

METAL

Despite claims from developers that the increasing prices of construction materials have led to high costs for new homes, reports from the Department of Statistics Malaysia showed otherwise.

The Building Material Cost Index (BCI) has shown an overall decrease in the region of Peninsular Malaysia since August 2017.

The following table is the latest unit price indices of building materials that show changes as compared to the previous month:

FIRE

On Sept 14, 23 people including students and teachers of Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah tahfiz (religious school) tragically lost their lives in a fire in Kampung Datuk Keramat.

Seven boys, aged 11 to 18, were arrested. Two of them were charged with murder while the others were charged with self-administration of drugs.

The tragic event conjured up previous cases related to poor fire safety measures at unregistered and private tahfiz schools, with more than 200 incidents reported since 2015.

Earlier in August, 16 people including eight students fled an early morning fire at the family-run Tahfiz Al-Taqwa in Baling, Kedah.

Another religious school in Sabak Bernam was also destroyed in a blaze on May 7. Fortunately, no casualties were reported.

On Sept 28, another fire was reported at a religious school in Rembau in which 37 female students managed to escape their hostel in the wee hours of the morning.

Under the instructions of the Prime Minister, the Fire and Rescue Department will be carrying out an audit on the fire safety protocols at tahfiz Schools nationwide.

National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, who is also involved in the newly formed special task force on tahfiz schools, said it is essential for any building, be it office or school, to have a mandatory safety feature.

“It should be the duty of the building managers to ensure that their premises are safe,” he said.

EARTH

On the morning of Oct 21, Malaysians woke up to the appalling news of a landslide tragedy that took place at Tanjung Bungah, Penang, burying 11 construction workers.

The incident occurred at the construction site of two 50-storey towers totalling 980 units.  Approval for the project was initially not granted by the Department of Environment due to its proximity to a granite quarry.

According to Bukit Bendera MP Zairil Khir Johari, the project was finally approved after the opinions of 17 different technical departments, mostly federal government agencies, were taken into account.

The case is still under probe with the developers appointing Arup Jururunding (Penang) Sdn Bhd to independently look into the cause of the landslide as well as propose short and long-term safety measures. Penang Department of Occupational Safety and Health is also investigating the case.