Landslide report useful as guideline for developers

KUALA LUMPUR: The Bukit Antarabangsa landslide report can be used as a guideline by developers when planning or undertaking projects, said Real Estate and Housing Developers' Association Malaysia (Rehda) president Datuk Ng Seing Liong.

He said in light of what had happened, people involved in housing projects such as developers, engineers and other professionals would put in more effort to impose higher standards of construction and safety features.

“Developers always take into consideration the cost of a project... so if more safety features are incorporated into the project, then it means more costs. As developers, they have to weigh in all these factors," he told Bernama when asked about the benefits developers could derive from the report.

The report on the causes of the landslide, which was prepared by a technical committee headed by the Public Works Department together with 11 other agencies, was released by the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council on Dec 8.

Most of the buyers of the 78-page report priced at RM80, are developers followed by the media and the public. Only a small number of Bukit Antarabangsa residents bought the report.

Repairing of damaged drains and monitoring of slopes showing signs of distress are among the remedies proposed in the Bukit Antarabangsa landslide report.

The Bukit Antarabangsa landslide tragedy on Dec 6 last year claimed five lives and destroyed 14 bungalows.

Ng said since the occurrence of several major landslide incidents including the Bukit Antarabangsa incident, the local authorities and engineers were more serious about the safety aspects of projects undertaken. – Bernama