[UPDATED] Taman Bukit Permai residents lament MPAJ’s silence on tree-felling activities

AMPANG – Residents living close to the landslide site in Taman Bukit Permai, Ampang claimed they had lodged numerous reports with the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) over tree-felling activities and land-clearing on the hill slopes, weeks before the tragedy struck.

Following the incident, tourist bus driver Bala Subramaniam exclaimed that his complaints to MPAJ fell on deaf ears.

Bala, 54, alleged that “irresponsible” residents have been clearing the hill slopes to plant crops.

“I am very unhappy. I had lodged a report to MPAJ before this about certain people who were clearing the hill slopes and cutting trees to plant crops. But MPAJ kept mum.

“How can you clear the hill slopes? When it rains, the soil will move. I have said it so many times. But they still continued those activities,” Bala told reporters here this morning.

He took MPAJ to task, saying that the municipal council must take actions to stop such activities from being continued.

Bala, who stays approximately 150m from the site of the incident, said he has been staying in this area for 18 years, and this was the first time a landslide has occurred.

When asked whether he will be evacuating his family to the temporary relief centre at the MPAJ hall in Taman Mega Jaya, Bala defiantly refused to do so.

“I don’t think my house will be affected. Besides, many others will be staying here as well.”

Meanwhile, another resident, Hamidah Husin, who lives just three houses away from the landslide site, revealed that her husband had also lodged a report on minor landslides that have occurred with MPAJ before this, but no actions were taken.

The housewife told reporters that the incident had greatly impacted her family, especially her husband, who is suffering from panic attacks and has since been admitted to the hospital.

“My husband is really affected by this landslide. He feels really frustrated because he has complained about these pressing issues many times, but MPAJ did not do anything about it,” she said in a tearful tone.

“Two of my cars, including a motorcycle, were destroyed due to the landslide, and this amounts to a loss of about RM100,000.”

She added her plan for now is to relocate to a family-owned homestay in Pandan Indah with her children and pet cats.

Earlier, Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari told reporters that there were no suspicious activities or logging involved at the site of the incident.

He also confirmed that the local authorities had never received any complaints related to landslides in the said area previously.

The landslide, which occurred after torrential rains yesterday evening, claimed four lives, while another victim escaped with light injuries in an incident that also affected 15 homes and 10 vehicles.

The search and rescue (SAR) operation for the five victims began as soon as nine firemen from the Pandan Fire and Rescue station arrived at the scene after receiving a distress call at 5.54pm.

The first victim, an 84-year-old man, was pulled out at 6.54pm. He escaped with minor injuries. His wife, however, was found dead at 7.53pm before her body was recovered at 9.15pm.

About an hour and a half after that, at 10.58pm, the body of the third victim, a male resident, was extricated from the debris.

The SAR operation ended at 2am this morning after Ampang Jaya district police chief ACP Mohamad Farouk Eshak confirmed that rescuers had found the bodies of the last two victims, both males, one of whom was a contractor of Air Selangor. 

Their bodies were found at 12.46am and 1.59am respectively. – The Vibes, March 11, 2022