Residents refuse to leave homes despite landslides

KUALA LUMPUR:Despite a second landslide occurring near the Taman Cheras Awana Flats, near Kajang in Selangor early this morning, residents of the flats are refusing to move out although they have been ordered by the relevant
authorities to do so.

Most of them believe that the landslide that occurred on the hill slope near the building at 3 pm yesterday Nov 18 which buried three cars and a motorcycle, posed no danger.

A check by Bernama at the scene found most of the residents carrying out their normal daily activities and no family had left the flats. Yesterday, 50 residents from 10 families from the flats were ordered to move out immediately after the landslide, to a community hall near the area.

A flat dweller, Rashitah Kamarudin, 56, said she refused to move to the relief centre as she felt the landslide would not hit her unit although it was facing the hill slope that had collapsed.

"I live here with my husband and child, and we are used to seeing such incidents. I notice that there is no danger although what occurred yesterday was worse than the first landslide last year," she told Bernama when met at her unit.

Anthony Raj, 40, who has been staying there for nine years said he too would not leave the house that he had bought because he felt more comfortable staying in his own home compared to the accommodation provided by
the authorities.

A check by Bernama also found that the collapsed hill slope had been covered with plastic sheets to reduce soil movement during the rain and the road into the area had been closed to traffic.