KUALA LUMPUR – Remedial works at Kemensah Heights following a landslide there last night will cost about RM1 million to prevent such an incident from recurring.
Gombak MP Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, who is also international trade and industry minister, said that he has spoken to Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz on how the federal government can help local authorities solve the problem.
Speaking to reporters after visiting the site of the incident at Jalan 7, Kemensah Heights, Azmin said that, although the incident occured on private land, he will push for measures to be undertaken to ensure safety there.
Thirty-two households were forced to evacuate the area last night and are being housed temporarily in nearby community halls.
“There is a need to build a sheet pile to stop the movement of soil that began yesterday,” Azmin said.
“Additionally, there is a river behind the affected lot where the landslide occurred,” he said, adding the river had been blocked and thus overflowed.
“Fortunately, there are no reports of any casualties. However, I am worried about the current weather and do not want the present situation to worsen or similar incidents to occur,” Azmin said after surveying the site with officials from the Mineral and Geoscience Department, Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ), police as well as the Fire and Rescue Department.
He said a full technical report that will include the condition of the townhouses in the area will take three days to be completed.
“This is to determine whether the houses are still safe to reside in or otherwise,” he said.
“For now, it is noted that the structures there are still intact and there are no ground movements.
“I hope residents are able to give their full cooperation as local authorities work to alleviate the problem.”
On whether there are plans to check other landslide-prone zones in the Kemensah area, Azmin said he trusts the local authorities to have relevant data to monitor the area.
Selangor Fire and Rescue Department deputy director Wan Md Razali Wan Ismail had earlier said the flow of the underground water caused the soil structure to slide.
The landslide that affected 19 double-storey terrace houses in Jalan Kemensah occurred after a downpour in the area. – The Vibes, September 18, 2021
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