State Govt to blame, say Hulu Klang folks

New  Straits Times 14/6/2006

KUALA LUMPUR: They bought land in the lush, green hills of Hulu Klang to build their dream homes, spending millions in some cases. But now residents are afraid, and they have lost faith in the Selangor Government.

M. Thomas, adviser to the People’s Consultative Council (PCC) which represents the Hulu Klang residents’ associations, says: "Home should be where security is, but that is the very place they are afraid of now. Some residents are now taking turns to watch each other’s backyards each time it rains. They blame the State Government for approving the projects."

The Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) was not entirely to blame as it was carrying out instructions from the State Government, he said.

"People in Hulu Klang have lost faith in the State Government and want the Federal Government to step in," he said, referring to the New Straits Times report on Monday quoting a soil expert that 80 per cent of Hulu Klang was at risk of landslides.

He said development in Hulu Klang started under the British but there were no landslides because a low density was maintained.

He said PCC plans to propose to Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting to limit development on slopes to a bungalow every 500m. They would also suggest improving the area’s drainage system.

MPAJ president Datuk Ahmad Shafii Saidin said the council was shocked by the expert’s comments.

"Most of the projects were built a long time ago. Now everyone wants to give their expert view on soil conditions in the area. Why didn’t they come forward then?" he asked.

"It is easy to have an opinion after a disaster," he said, referring to the Kampung Pasir tragedy last month in which four people were killed and 42 homes destroyed.

However, according to the soil expert quoted in the NST, the State Government and the council were informed about the soil conditions two years ago and knowingly approved projects in high-risk areas.