Johor Housing and Local Government Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Jafni Md Shukor (left) inspects the existing guardrails at Taman Desa Mutiara PPR in Johor Bahru on March 24, 2026 after a boy, 9, suffered extensive injuries from falling. — Picture by Ben Tan
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By Ben Tan
Tuesday, 24 Mar 2026 2:45 PM MYT
JOHOR BAHRU, March 24 — The Johor government is budgeting RM3 million to replace all guardrails at the Desa Mutiara People’s Housing Project (PPR) here, after a boy fell from a second floor unit and suffered heavy injuries.
State Housing and Local Government Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Jafni Md Shukor the move involves some 2,000 guardrails and is necessary for the safety of residents.
“The Desa Mutiara PPR, which was built 19 years ago, is among the oldest schemes in the state. So, it is understood that some of its infrastructure is old, in addition to being damaged due to vandalism,” he told reporters after visiting the low-cost flats today.
He said the victim, a nine-year-old boy, is currently under treatment for head injuries at the Intensive Care Unit of the Sultanah Aminah Hospital here and is stable so far.
Mohd Jafni said the special allocation is from the state-owned Johor Housing Development Corporation.
He added that the safety of some 15,000 PPRs and Government Rental Housing schemes statewide will also be assessed, especially those that are over 15 years old.
“The previous method was not efficient as the guardrails were just affixed into the floor. After several technical discussions, we have decided that the new guardrails will be screwed into the floor using wall plugs,” he said, adding that the newer method was said to be able to withstand the load weight up to 200kg.