Thesun 2008-12-11 Page06 Selangor To Review Hillslope Projects

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theSun

| THURSDAY DECEMBER 11 2008

news without borders

by Maria J. Dass [email protected]

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

Selangor to review hillslope projects 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 to those affected by the landslide, he said all the properties involved are private properties but the state will help the residents to find alternative properties to buy or stay in. “We will also help them to in terms of basic necessities and needs like food,” he said. Abdul Khalid said an open forum involving residents of hillslope developments, non-governmental organisations and government agencies will be held after Jan 17 to discuss ways to reduce the risks of landslides. Bernama reported last night a meeting

between Abdul Khalid and representatives of the Bukit Antarabangsa Residents Action Committee will be held in a few days’ time. Gombak MP and Bukit Antarabangsa state assemblyman Mohamed Azmin Ali said Abdul Khalid and the state executive council had discussed the residents’ problems in the aftermath of Saturday’s landslide. He told reporters after meeting representatives of the committee the state government had plans to help the residents if they were asked by the authorities to move out of the area because 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 revealed 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 indications 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 residents 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