6 theSun | THURSDAY DECEMBER 11 2008

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Selangor to review hillslope projects

by Maria J. Dass
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
SHAH ALAM: Selangor will set up
a “review team” to help manage the
development of hillslope projects
approved by the previous state
administration.
Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid
Ibrahim said yesterday the team will
re-evaluate all present and habited
hillslopes.
In addition, it will identify and
determine the best management
and monitoring mechanisms in
areas where Class 3 and 4 hillslope
developments are in progress, he
said after the weekly state executive
council meeting.
Abdul Khalid said hillslope and
soil experts briefed the executive
councillors at the meeting.
Asked if the Real Estate and
Housing Developers Association
(Rehda) is still trying to convince the
state government to be flexible with
hillslope development following their
meeting on Aug 17, he said: “No, they
find me very stubborn.”
“I’m not yet convinced by their
request and they find there is no point
in pursuing this,” he said.
Responding to questions on
an audit of landslide-prone areas
volunteered by Rehda following
the Bukit Antarabangsa incident on
Saturday, Abdul Khalid said: “The
state takes an open attitude and
anyone who wants to submit a study
(may do so). Our team will also have
a look at it.
“Any study by Rehda will have a
fair amount of vested interest but as
an interested and committed party,
they can conduct the study and we
will not stop them from doing so, but
whether their recommendations will
be accepted by us is a different matter.
“We will look at the basis of
Rehda’s recommendation and
compare them to studies conducted
by our own experts and if these are
similar, then we will accept them.”
Asked whether approved hillslope
projects may be cancelled, Abdul
Khalid said the state government
cannot just cancel the decision of
the past state administration but will
monitor closely the implementation
of these approved hillslope
developments to ensure they follow
the regulations and requirements.
“If the terms and regulations are
breached, the state government will
halt the project involved,” he said.
“The quality of hillslope
management and drainage in
hillslopes will be our paramount
concern and we must remind
housebuyers that the danger is not in
the development itself but on other
parts of the hillslopes and they should
consider the totality of that.”
Chiding former state government
leaders for their critical statements,
Abdul Khalid said: “I think it is better
for the previous state government
leaders to keep quiet because their
decision was wrong and if they want
to say that they have done a lot, then
their decision is reflected by the
landslide that we are facing now.”
ZULKIFLI ERSAL/THESUN
Search
and rescue
personnel
try to locate
Sri Lankan
maid Lourdes
Mary with
the help of a
sniffer dog at
the scene of
the landslide
in Bukit
Antarabangsa
yesterday.
The search
was called off
at 2pm after
the rescuers
found no
trace of her.
Asked if the state will pay compensation between Abdul Khalid and representatives
to those affected by the landslide, he said of the Bukit Antarabangsa Residents
all the properties involved are private Action Committee will be held in a few
properties but the state will help the days’ time.
residents to find alternative properties to Gombak MP and Bukit Antarabangsa
buy or stay in. state assemblyman Mohamed Azmin Ali
“We will also help them to in terms of said Abdul Khalid and the state executive
basic necessities and needs like food,” he council had discussed the residents’
said. problems in the aftermath of Saturday’s
Abdul Khalid said an open forum landslide.
involving residents of hillslope He told reporters after meeting
developments, non-governmental representatives of the committee the
organisations and government agencies state government had plans to help
will be held after Jan 17 to discuss ways to the residents if they were asked by the
reduce the risks of landslides. authorities to move out of the area because
Bernama reported last night a meeting of soil instability.

Another landslide not ruled out

KUALA LUMPUR: The Public Works Department
(PWD) and Public Works Institute (Ikram) have not
ruled out such a probability of another landslide in
Bukit Antarabangsa.
This follows initial investigations, which re-
vealed the soil condition of the landslide area to
be “weak”.
A senior geologist said yesterday a series of
tests conducted by the Geo-Technical Forensics
He said the residents wanted the
government and the relevant authorities
to
give a more detailed and consistent
time-frame regarding their need to
evacuate
the area.
Unit in Taman Bukit Mewah found the soil
to be weak and unstable.
Thus, he said, there were strong indica-
tions that another landslide might occur.
The geologist, who asked not to be
named, said the unit used the Real Time
Data Sensor device to mark movements in
the soil, from time to time.
“Since Saturday, the readings have been
uncertain. The unit has been carrying out
tests in a few sectors to collect the relevant
data to obtain a clearer picture,” he said.
“It found the composition of the earth to
be a mixture of soil and water which could
make the earth softer.
“We want to prevent another landslide
and hope the weather will be on our side.”
Bernama understands the PWD and
Ikram need at least another 12 days to
come up with a final report on studies of
the landslide area.
Residents’ fear
KUALA LUMPUR: Bukit Antarabangsa resi-
dents have urged the government to take
action to ensure that soil on Jalan Wangsa
9, the first area to experience the landslide
on Saturday, is stable.
Bukit Antarabangsa Residents Action
Committee chairman Datuk N. Muneandy
said the residents were worried that the
surrounding areas would be affected as
there was still soil movement where the
incident occured.
“When Jalan Wangsa 9 is involved in
a landslide, then there is a big possibility
that Jalan Wangsa 3, 5, 7, 11, as well as
Jalan Wangsa Heights and the Atheneum
Condominium could share the same fate,”
he said. – Bernama