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Selangor to aid landslide victims
by Charles Ramendran
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
KUALA LUMPUR: The Selangor
government will give monetary
aid and housing at subsidised rates
to the 269 families affected by the
Bukit Antarabangsa landslide on
Dec 6.
Mentri Besar Tan Sri
Khalid Ibrahim, who made the
announcement yesterday, after
meeting the affected residents at
the landslide site, said the state
government has come up with both
short and long-term plans for them.
The state government had
received a report from the Public
Works Department on Friday on the
status of the affected houses.
Khalid said out of the 269 affected
families, 174 have been allowed
to return to their homes. They can
seek the help of the local authorities
stationed at the site for transportation
to ferry their belongings.
He said 14 families lost their
houses which were either buried or
badly damaged while the remaining
81 families have been barred from
returning to their homes due to
their unsafe state.
He said the 81 families may have
to wait at least a month for a further
report on the ongoing evaluation on
the structures and hillslope. He said
the state government will give each
of the 81 families up to RM1,000 a
month to temporarily rent a house
until they get the green light to
return to their homes.
Khalid said the Selangor
Development Corporation (PKNS)
has also offered 14 houses in Cheras
to them at a rental of RM100 for the
first three months and RM500 for
each subsequent month.
He said the children from all 269
families who are studying between
pre-school and Form Five will each
receive a RM120 voucher sponsored
by the PKNS for the purchase of
their schooling necessities.
He said the state government
Penang issues stop work order on two hillslope projects
GEORGE TOWN: Stop-work
orders have been issued against
two hillslope development
projects in Tanjung Bungah
following complaints from
residents.
Chief Minister Lim Guan
Eng said yesterday he has met
with the residents and issued
will also give relief of RM500 to the
disabled and those whose income
is below RM1,500 for the next
three months. The 14 families who
lost their houses will be offered a
discount of between 10% and 15% if
they purchase a property from PKNS.
Khalid said the families
whose loved ones were killed in
the disaster will also receive a
consolation sum of RM5,000 while
those who suffered injuries will be
given RM1,500 each.
“This special relief we are
giving out may not commensurate
with what those affected had gone
through but we have tried to do our
best for all parties involved,” he said,
adding those who require the relief
could apply for it at the information
centres set up close to their
respective homes which will operate
A resident, Madam Xu, puts up a painting
of the Chinese character jia (home) after
receiving the green light to return to her
house in Bukit Antarabangsa yesterday.
the stop-work orders against the
developers due to safety issues.
“There are many issues
that need to be taken into
consideration to ensure
sustainable development.”
He said the residents have some
issues on slope safety and slope
treatment that require attention.
for three days from today.
He said 15 hillslope residential
estates in the district of Ampang
have been identified as landslide
prone. The districts of Gombak,
Hulu Langat, Hulu Selangor and
Petaling have also been found to be
at risk of soil erosion.
Khalid said land owners should
be aware that the monitoring
of hillslopes in the area is their
responsibility. “We will write to the
owners of such land to remind them
of this responsibility. Then at least
they can calculate the risks involved
before deciding to erect a building
on a hillslope,” he said.
The initiative drew mixed
reactions from the 100 residents
who turned up for the meeting.
Engineer K.N. Wong, whose
house was cleared as safe, said his
While declining to name the
projects, Lim said he wants the
parties involved to come to an
arrangement or agreement.
“We want to see that guidelines
are followed, rules are observed
and we want to impose more
stringent requirements and
regulations to have a high level
family will return to their home
although his place is just 100m from
where the soil erosion had begun.
Asked why he was returning and
whether he felt it was still risky to
occupy his house, he said: “It’s a 50-
50 feeling but I have lived here for
21 years and my family and children
grew up here. The authorities have
assured us it is safe to return and we
are taking their word for it.”
Bukit Antarabangsa Action
Committee secretary Raymond
Jegathesan said the affected
residents are happy that Khalid
kept his word last week that he will
return with a solution for those
affected within a week.
However, he said those affected
had expected a better deal such
as higher discounts for the houses
offered for sale.
assurance of safety for residents.”
Lim said he wants the parties
involved to discuss the issues in
an amicable manner.
Independent hillslope
development panel member
Prof Dr Eric Goh will attend the
discussion sessions with the
developers next week, he said.
| MONDAY DECEMBER 22 2008
Perak:
National
disaster
act can be
misused
by Humayun Kabir
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
IPOH: The Perak government is
against the proposal to introduce
a National Disaster Emergency
Act which is seen as an act by
the federal government to take
control of Pakatan Rakyat-led
state governments by declaring
political motivated emergencies
in these states.
“The Pakatan Rakyat state
government can cooperate with
the federal government in case
of natural disasters occurring
in the state without the need
for such an act,” Mentri Besar
Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar
Jamaluddin told reporters
yesterday.
“I believe the state is capable
of managing such catastrophes
by cooperating with the
relevant authorities in charge
of natural disasters without
the need for such an act which
can be misused by the federal
government to take control of
Pakatan Rakyat-led states,” he
said after officiating the state
mosque officers association’s
12th annual general meeting
here.
There are adequate federal
laws in the country to control
such disasters, he said in
response to Minister in the
Prime Minister’s Department
Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri
Abdul Aziz’s statement that
the federal government
may consider such an act in
order for federal agencies to
coordinate natural disasters
that occur in Pakatan Rakyat-
led states.
The minister was reported
as saying that with such an act,
an emergency can be declared
when there is a disaster so that
federal government can take
charge.
Nazri, who is a member of
the National Disaster Relief
Committee, had said the act
will also curb hoarding of
essential supplies and control
traders in the distribution of
such supplies.