IAM blames the public for wearing down facilities after washbasin accident

The President of the Municipal Bureau (IAM), José Maria da Fonseca Tavares, has blamed members of the public for the improper use of public facilities that some alleged were poorly constructed and managed in the first place.
On Friday, the bureau held a press conference in response to several controversies involving the IAM, in particular one incident where a resident was injured by a tile falling from a washbasin at Hac Sa Reservoir, which is managed by the bureau.
The bureau attempted to shirk its responsibilities and Tavares urged members of the public to properly use public facilities, otherwise the equipment would wear out and consequently pose a threat.
Earlier this week, Macau resident Choi Chi Wai sustained a bone fracture when he was hit by a falling tile and construction debris at the Hac Sa Reservoir. Choi, a heavy-duty vehicle driver, has been told by his doctor to take a three-month-long break in order to recover from the injury.
After the accident, the government denied any accountability. Despite being the manager of the facility, the IAM blamed the construction company who built the facility even though the bureau had accepted the completed project.
At Friday’s press conference, the vice president of the IAM, Lo Chi Kin, continued IAM’s line of argument by claiming that the bureau has always monitored and inspected public facility construction standards and processes, but due to the large number of projects the bureau is unable to inspect everything.
According to Lo, the quality of public facilities largely depends on whether contractors strictly implement the standards required by the IAM.