Incident-plagued JEM mall to reopen tomorrow

SINGAPORE — JEM will reopen again tomorrow, nearly two weeks after a collapsed ceiling in the beleaguered Jurong East mall led the developer to close it for repairs and checks.

The reopening, which was announced on its Facebook page yesterday, drew mixed reactions. While some said they were happy to be able to visit again, others jibed about whether the mall would be safe for employees and patrons.

The latest incident that forced the closure was a burst water pipe that brought down a 50m by 4m portion of a false ceiling on the first floor on Sept 18. Three people suffered minor injuries.

The authorities ordered the Australian developer, Lend Lease, to close off the affected area but it chose to shut the entire mall.

Before that, JEM had been beset by incidents since its opening on June 15 — also delayed by four days because it could not secure fire permits in time.

In August, two fires broke out within a week. Three people were injured in the first, which occurred at the FairPrice Xtra supermarket after a deep fryer at a food counter caught fire. No one was injured in the second, which involved an engine compartment of a car at its Basement 2 car park.