KUALA LUMPUR, 7 Dec 2008: People in buildings in slope development areas will be asked to vacate their premises if they are found to be on the list of risky slopes under the National Slope Masterplan expected to be ready early next year.
Under the masterplan, ongoing development projects will be asked to stop if they are found to be in high-risk slope areas.
Deputy Minister of Housing and Local Government, Datuk Robert Lau Hoi Chew, said development on Class 3 and Class 4 slopes is catergorised as high-risk.
The masterplan, to be drawn by the Public Works Department (PWD), will provide guidelines on construction and development on slopes and his ministry will use it to monitor projects, Lau said at the scene of the Bukit Antarabangsa landslide here today.
Four people were killed and scores more injured when a massive landslide destroyed their bungalow homes yesterday morning.
On the call by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi that housing projects on hill sides and on high-risk slopes be halted, he said it should be supported.
“If construction is going on, investigation should be done carefully,” he said.
On the allegation of a Bukit Antarabangsa resident who said that the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) did not investigate the causes of fallen trees a few months ago, Lau said there may be “negligence” on the part of MPAJ in the matter.
“If MPAJ received the information and did not investigate and take appropriate action, that is not right,” he said. — Bernama
