Can anyone in the Klang Valley familiar with the Bukit Antarabangsa area tell me why you think the landslide, which buried eight houses at dawn today, ocurred? Three people are reportedly confirmed dead while several others are believed to have perished.
What do you think? Was it just a natural disaster or was it the result of environmental degradation?
Blog reader Selangor resident has few doubts:
Let me tell you why:
RAMPANT & IRRESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT!
That’s why!
DEVELOPMENT OF HILLSLOPES DISRUPTS BODIES OF WATER
- resulting in flooding, water shortage …
- in its worst form, soil erosion and landslides
- causing destruction of property and livesWe the folks of Ampang Hills have been fighting for years for the local government to be extremely cautious when they approve hillslope projects. It’s been 16 years since Highland Towers tragedy but it still continues. How many more lives?! We have been asking – haven’t the developers learnt from the tragedies … well, OBVIOUSLY NOT! It’s time we stop asking! It’s time the Federal Government steps in and put a full STOP to it!!
Our dealings with the past Selangor state govt were not fruitful as despite many appeals, they approved over a hundred questionable hillslope projects. (No need to wonder how they got approved ….) For more info on the latest case which we are appealing (this hillslope project was approved by the former Selangor state government just before the election!), please visit this site.
And here we go again, after each landslide (Report from The Star):
KUALA LUMPUR: The Government will not be issuing any more permits for hillside developments following the landslide tragedy at Bukit Antarabangsa early Saturday morning.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said this on Saturday at a press conference after visiting the tragedy site.
He also told developers not to lobby or pressure the Government for any building permits for hillside development projects.
Every time such an incident occur, we hear the same old familiar song, “no more development on hill-slopes”. But everywhere we go, we see development on hill-slopes, don’t we?
That area was haunted by landslide for years…
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I heard over the Bernama news that Selangor MB said that the houses were built in Cat 4 hill slopes area – which is not allowed. That much I have heard from the news Bernama and Astro Awani. Rather disappointed that not much news is heard or visuals shown by TV.
6 Dec 11.40am
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As to your question, I think the answer is more of the latter than the former. No doubt the weather condition – rain in most evenings for the past one month – has contributed to the landslide.
I think the root problem greed – developing and profiteering without the thought of environmental impact.
Who suffers?
At the time of posting this comment, my house near MRR2, Hulu Kelang – the weather is cool and cloudy.
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its only landslides now, i bet you in time to come buildings will be slanting and waiting for the big fall,due to DI LULUSKAN DENGEN SEGERA.
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A personal account from ground zero:
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/12/6/nation/20081206113234&sec=nation
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Anil remember don’t play with mother nature as when she decides to act this is the result.
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Earth that is nuturally unstable will naturally slide to achieve equilibrium. After millions of years,the earth is usually stable unless it has be disturbed. In Bukit Antarabangsa,the previously forested hills have been stripped of it’s protective foliage and the soil disturbed and have become very unstable. Coupled with the unusually heavy rain lately, landslides will occur.
I forsee the same problem will also happen in DAMANSARA PERDANA in P.J. where the steep forested hills are being cleared for development.
The government must be very strict about banning hillslope development, but as usual those with strong connections will always be able to “kowtim” the authorities and get their plans approved.
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Condos and houses being should not be built on hillslopes.
Obvious answer. Corruption. Nowadays, not only corruption jeopardises the economy, it also causes death.
But we don’t care. We are still focussed in making the tallest building, biggest this and that, longest ketupat etc.
One big danger are the houses and condos on Gasing Heights. One day, the state decides no hillslope development, another day, they decide can.
Teresa Kok, any of opinions?
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Dear Anil,
We know why it happened, leaving out the technicalities of why a landslide occurs. Twin towers close by was a disaster from which nothing was remedied. And more disasters will continue to take place. Hope it will not be labeelled as an “act of God”.
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I think it is too simplistic to say whether it was natural disaster or environmental degradation. May be a combination of many things, top of which may be apathy (tidak-apa attitude), short-term memory (remember Highland Towers and all the promises after that) and poor (rather, no) regulatory enforcement after that incident. The fact that it happened again very close to the same site not too long ago, and the many finger-pointing and “I told you so” that will follow, shows the extend of the deterioration of human concern.
What about the many other hillside development that are currently occuring everywhere, top of which is the Damansara 21 project, where the residents association have been “fighting” more than one year now? Do they need more incidents like this to wake up?
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Let me tell you why:
RAMPANT & IRRESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT!
That’s why!
DEVELOPMENT OF HILLSLOPES DISRUPT BODIES OF WATER
- resulting in flooding, water shortage …
- in its worst form, soil erosion and landslides
- causing destruction of property and lives
We the folks of Ampang Hills have been fighting for years for the local government to be extremely cautious when they approve hillslope projects. It’s been 16 years since Highland Towers tragedy but it still continues. Have many more lives?! We have been asking – haven’t the developers learnt from the tragedies … well, OBVIOUSLY NOT! It’s time we stop asking! it’s time the Federal Government steps in and put a full STOP to it!!
Our dealings with the past Selangor state govt were not fruitful as despite many appeals, they approved over a hundred questionable hillslope projects. (No need to wonder how they got approved ….)
For more info on the latest case which we are appealing (this hillslope project was approved by the former Selangor state government just before the election!) please visit:
http://www.nolandslide.org
Tq
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Typo – should read:
HOW many more lives?!
(not have many more lives, sorry)
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Google Earth doesn’t show the 2 streets mentioned in the newspaper articles so I can’t see if there is any new development that can have the finger pointed at it, although some reports say it originated from Jln Wangsa 9.
Certainly human failings have to be taken into account – the whole area is not stable yet houses are still being built there. Even the closure of the road last week due to a smaller slide didn’t lead to any serious inspection even though it was most likely the precursor.
The only news-worthy item is Najib coming out to say for the umpteenth time that no new development will take place on hill slopes. As a resident of Taman Sri Ukay who overlooks Highland Tower, the bungalow that killed the bank chairman’s family and the Bukit Antarabangsa hillslide from a few years back, it makes me want to puke when I hear it. I KNOW that it’s just lies & more lies – there are dozens more potential disasters in the area just waiting & certain to occur. The latest ones butt right up to the MRR2 so it will probably block one of the main arteries to the city next time instead of “only 5000″!
Does ANYONE believe Najib? The Selangor state government needs to put their foot down as well as it’s their turf.
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Blog reader Selangor resident, you mention, “No need to wonder how they got approved …,” I think it is vital to know how they got approved.
Go to the root cause.
Find out who is on the take. (if) a few people advocating hillslope projects are on the take, they ought to be investigated.
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A clear cut of environmental degradation. A man made disaster. When man begins to think that he or she is smarter and blatant disregard of the nature, the price to be paid is too expensive AND ITS HURTS.
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Landslides, whether human interrupts or not, will happen.It is human greed that plots to stay in its path.I will, here, even chose to blame those who similarly choose to stay in its path. There will be no hillside development, if nobody chooses to buy such property.
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Say only. I still hear rock-blasting in the evening near Tg Bungah.
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The people need to ask the former MBS of Selangor, especially Mat Taib and K Toyo, about all these developments on the hillsides.
They are the land administrators and they are fully responsible for all these developments.
The victims and their families should claim compensations from these two flurs and the Majlis Perbandaran concerned.
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A pity it takes lives to be lost before this comes into the spotlight again – what did the authorities learn of the Highland Towers tragedy?
Nothing much it seems. I really hope LGE is taking note of this….
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As a nation we have a knee-jerk reaction. Everytime we have a landslide tragedy, we hear the same chorus “no more hillside devt”. Give it a bit of time, it’s all forgotten.
What i don’t understand also it the attitude of house buyers. I wouldn’t want to own/rent property in that vicinity. Too many already. Ok, we establish that developers are greedy, with nary a care. But if there are no buyers, they get no business, right?
Maybe we need attitude adjustment too. Forget about the glamour of living on hillslopes and all that. No demand, no hills cut down. How? Can?
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If I am not mistaken all these hill projects were approved by the respective BN state govt and the BN controlled local authorites prior to March 8 …. so we know who is to blame isn’t it!
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My family lived in Bt Taman Mewah, Impian Selatan condo for 15yrs. It was a very nice place to lived, cooling and quiet. We moved out from there 3 yrs ago cos we knew landslide will happen one day. There was always water flowing to drain and other areas of the condo from the hill slops. Sigh. Please pray for everyone in Bukit Antarabangsa, no more tragedy for folks of BA.
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i reas this from The Star:
“Last month, eight trees fell on the hillslop about 20m behind my house and I informed the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) about it.
“They came and chopped the trees. I thought that everything was okay then,” he told reporters at the scene.
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One word will suffice: GREED.
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You just cannot say “Caveat Emptor” and be done with it! Blame the buyers. It is not that simple.
Property developers and the myriad of government agencies responsible inter alia for issuing licenses, approvals etc all have a duty of care – both at common law and statutory.
It is only fitting that there be investigations into all these tragedies and if negligence could be proven than the solution would be through the court system for damages and compensation to families of victims.
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