PETALING JAYA: The year was 1988, and The Star reporter Paul Gabriel found himself at the district hospital in Butterworth, Penang. Workers inspecting the site after the tragedy — The Star Paul remembered the chaos that followed the collapse of the jetty platform - sirens blaring, helicopters hovering overhead and blood-stained ambulances rushing the injured to hospital. — The Star Paul was 25 and was a year into his stint as The Star’s Butterworth correspondent. Then in the dimly-lit morgue, Paul saw black body bags and began counting, notebook and pen in hand. "The scene of the jetty platform collapse and bodies lying on the road is still etched in my mind," he said.

Source: The Star March 18, 2026 02:01 UTC