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Ex-major may sue to get
landslide report
16/02/09 NST
KUALA LUMPUR: Dr Mohamed Rafick Khan Abdul Rahman, who caused a stir at a
press conference by Works Minister Datuk Mohd Zin Mohamed on Saturday, is
adamant on getting the Bukit Antarabangsa risk assessment report.
The report was jointly prepared by several agencies, including the Malaysian
Public Works Institute (Ikram), following the Dec 6 landslide in Hulu Kelang.
"I strongly urge the government to release details of the report which we
believe have been classified as top secret.
"Give us the report. Why the secrecy? Our lives are at stake."
The tragedy left five dead, injured 90, destroyed 14 bungalows, made 1,000
homes unsafe and forced the evacuation of 5,000.
The retired army major wants the government to release the Hulu Kelang
Landslide Hazard Map prepared by Ikram following the Taman Hillview
landslide in 2002 which destroyed the bungalow of Affin Bank chairman Gen (rtd)
Tan Sri Ismail Omar and claimed the lives of eight people.
Rafick said he, like the rest of the Bukit Antarabangsa residents, were
concerned that the tragedy would be forgotten over time. He also re-sent his
email to Zin and the ministry's senior officers.
Rafick, who was a participant in the "Safe hillside development" seminar in
Subang Jaya, had interrupted Zin's press conference, questioning the
minister as to why there was no reply to his email sent three weeks ago for
the risk assessment report.
Rafick claimed he and thousands of residents of Bukit Antarabangsa were
living in an environment with a false sense of security.
"I am worried about the structural soundness of two huge water tanks on the
slope edge in Bukit Antarabangsa. I shudder to imagine if they were to
collapse."
Rafick warned that if the report was not released by the end of the month,
he would sue the Federal Government to obtain an informed judgment.
On the drama at last Saturday's press conference, Rafick said he did not
intend to be rude to Zin. "I took the opportunity to ask him about the
report as I was made to understand that the report had been completed." |
