Up in arms over housing project on fragile slope

04/06/2006 New Straits Times

KUALA LUMPUR: Residents of Bukit Mas are fighting a housing project which they fear may lead to another tragedy like the Highland Towers collapse more than 10 years ago.

Even after four major landslides and hundreds of people killed in a span of 20 years, they say, it appears that no lessons have been learned.

A developer has been given the go-ahead by City Hall to build 74 apartments and town villas on a steep and fragile slope.

The project, on private land, was approved in the early 1990s but placed on hold after the Highland Towers tragedy.

"The site for development is near a stream and a water catchment area," said Bukit Mas residents association head Datuk Mohd Rosli Aziz, speaking at a Press conference at the site yesterday. "This means the soil in the surrounding area is soft and landslide-prone."

Situated near the Kampung Pasir landslide in the Hulu Klang area, Bukit Mas in Taman Melawati has had its share of minor landslides, and there are cracks in the 232 housing units.

Residents have forked out thousands to repair damage caused by minor landslides during a heavy downpour.

"The foundations of some of the bungalows need shoring up. We can’t imagine the effects of the clearing of trees, earthworks and piling on this already fragile environment."

Rosli said the residents’ fears had been confirmed by a consultant they had hired to look into the matter.

"We cannot understand how City Hall approved the project. They think we have a short memory." Rosli was referring to the developers who waited for more than 10 years before restarting the project.

"We are going to appeal to City Hall and the Federal Territories Ministry to cancel it."

Datuk Rosnah Majid, a resident, said wild animals in the area were also at risk.

"We have a family of wild boars, two panthers and a host of rare flora and fauna in this area. All these will vanish if the project goes through."