LANDSLIDE AT KG.

PASIR

There was a landslide occurred in Kampung Pasir on May 31 2006. We

have learnt that this is not the first time the landslide issue happened in the area
and it most likely won’t be the last. The Kampung Pasir landslide is one of the 5
landslides occurred in Klang Valley and all 5 landslides are within approximately
2km and situated along the Middle Ring Road II. In accordance of this, there is a
continuously tragedy in Klang Valley as shown below:

DATE LOCATION DURATION

December 11, 1993 Highland Towers
May 15, 1999 Athenaeum Tower Almost 5 years
October 5, 2000 Bukit Antarabangsa 1 year and plus
November 20, 2002 Taman Hillview 2 years
May 31, 2006 Kampung Pasir 4 years and plus

At the moment, there are 3 government bodies involved in studying and

approving these projects which are the Local Planning Authority, JKR Slopes
Unit, and IKRAM which acts as an external consultant. In that incident, there was
an electrical circuit which caused ablaze a longhouse. In conjunction with this
incident, Selangor police were carrying out search and rescue work, together
with members of the Special Malaysian Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team
(SMART), Fire and Rescue Department personnel, Kuala Lumpur City Hall
workers and Red Crescent Society volunteers. They believed that the short
circuit was triggered by a power pole brought down by the landslide.
 In relation to urban planning, there must be a tautened process in
development approval. As Kuala Lumpur is getting more and more developed,
planners and developers facing problem the scarcity of land because what left
are the hill slopes, peaty soil, and unfavorable locations like near dumpsites or
power lines. The tragedy occurred at the place which located at the hilly area
with the same formation of soil and slope to the other 4 cases before, in which
the natural terrain of the area is very steep and make it costly to develop
properly. So, what is the local planning authority supposed to do? They cannot
let the problem without suggestion of solutions. There are standards and
guidelines provided to standardize or guide development. For this case,
development on hilly areas should abide to land use regulations. But the problem
is how many developers follow the rules and regulations?

The landslide calamity at Kampung Pasir does not concern only on

developers but also the planning system, because all development must get the
approval from the local planning authority. Moreover, the local planning authority
should consider the preservation of natural resources and the effect on
environment as well as human in every application for development, such to
ensure that every development at hilly areas follow the planning guideline on
‘The Preservation Topography In Physical Planning and Development In
Accordance With The Town and Country Act 1976 (Act 172). Here we can refer
the specification characteristics of development at the hilly areas and how the
guideline specifies the use class order based on the slopes conditions which are:

i. Low-Risk Zone Areas

ii. Medium-Risk Zone Area
iii. High-Risk Zone Areas
 Since there are guidelines to develop in certain area, so what is
happening now as the facts show the continuous landslide occurred in the same
area? Prof. Dr. Mahadzer Mahmud, the Director of IKRAM, Research
Development Centre said, based on visual observation the land was too
dangerous to be developed and the slope was practically vertical and needed to
be reinforced by a retaining wall before any work could start. But for the case at
Kampung Pasir, the retaining wall only erected after the project completed. Since
the developer did not follow the rules and regulations (as mention above), the
wall collapsed after a few days downpour and landslide happened.

Relating to the cases of natural calamities in Malaysia, it seems like the

planners do not take any precaution and it seems like it will never be a lesson for
them to improve the quality at planning and development system. The planners
should act proactively to these issues and try to analyze the cause and effect on
mankind also environment. Planners also should use the guidelines provided and
ensure the rules are being practiced by the developers in order to make sure
there will no changes according to the first approved plan and to avoid the
repeating incidents on landslide tragedy. They should be tough persons to say no
to the proposals which do not fulfill the standards requirement in development for
the sake of planning system itself. Plus, they need to think out of the box, think
beyond the situation where they have to consider the effects for upcoming future
community.

By the way, the state government actually had urged those staying on hilly
areas to submit their building plans to the local authorities. On receiving the plan,
the related department would carry out studies on the slopes and map out
precautions to be taken to prevent incidents like this. But, only fewer than 10%
hill tenants have submitted their building plans so far.
 The Chief Minister of Selangor state, Y.B Dato. Khir Toyo said that
he will ensure the state government is taking a re-look at all aspects involving
approval because it seems contractors, consultants, and the developers seem to
be irresponsible. Yet, guidelines compliance by developers, contractors, and
consultants are still poor. Now, how long this urging of his will sustain, all of us
can only guess; after 5 minutes, everything will just like never happened. Every
time disaster came, there are lots of comments and arguing to say they are not to
be blamed. But, the things still happened and nothing we can rely on this fully-
hoped statement.

It is the same condition when report in a local papers that MPAJ

President, Ahmad Shafii Saidin mentioned that the developer of the houses
Taman Zooview which is located above Kampung Pasir did not have certificate of
fitness. The President further blamed the developer and house buyers, indirectly
blaming them for causing the landslide. This is another disgrace statement that
should not come from the person who responsible for the incident either. The
MPAJ is the local authority for Ampang area and it is their duty to ensure
compliance of building by laws. Furthermore, how come the construction can be
proceeding and who had approved the project?

As things happened, public go through and been promised for the

betterment of development and also assured that future projects involving steep
gradient areas are scrutinized with a fine-toothed comb. All projects whether on
steep gradient or no gradient should be scrutinized to save the people from not
only greedy developers but greedy government officials as well. Whenever the
authority blaming the developers, public keep wondering what is actually the
criterion for the chosen developers by the authority? All developers must be
recognized by the state and local authority before they can commit into any kind
of projects which involve life of people. If the local authority has been doing its
job, then all those people staying in the houses would have not been allowed to
stay in their houses without fitness certificate. The problem here is the unbridled
power that developers seem to have in milking their profits from whatever land
they can build on.

The local planning authority supposed to ensure and observed the

qualifications needed in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process every
time they approve projects. The EIA process itself supplies the authorities with an
indication of the likely environmental consequences of their actions. Properly
used, EIA should lead to informed decisions about potentially significant actions
and to positive benefits to both proponents and to the population at large. In
reality, many authorization decisions involving EIA are usually taken behind
closed doors, and therefore only a portal understanding of the process is
available.

The local planning authority and developers should be disciplined enough

to abide by their own rulings so we may not see loss of life, erosion, landslides
and collapse of buildings. Man will inflict disaster upon his own kind because of
the disrespect to nature and because of his own greed. We as the vicegerent on
Earth should take a good care of the Earth, our own habitat. We cannot let them
be annihilated easily by the disastrous and greedy ideas in which will give badly
reflect on us.
APPENDICES

WALL DOWN: Tons of earth came down on three rows of longhouses in

Kampung Pasir, Ulu Klang, Selangor Wednesday. The landslide occured
at 4.45pm after a retaining wall protecting double storey houses atop a hill
collapsed.
EMERGENCY EFFORT: Rescuers looking for survivors at the landslide
area in Kampung Pasir

DESTROYED: This house was buried in the landslide in Kampung Pasir.

AFTERMATH: Landslide survivors rummaging for their

belongings amid the rubble caused by Wednesday's massive
landslide in Kampung Pasir, Ulu Klang.
LONG NIGHT: Members of the Fire and Rescue Department working
through the night to look for landslide victims.

LONG NIGHT: Members of the Fire and Rescue Department working

through the night to look for landslide victims.

LANDSLIDE CASUALTY: Fire and Rescue department personnel carrying out

the body of Hayati Mohd Yunus, 24, one of two women who was killed in the
landslide tragedy in Kampung Pasir.
REFERENCES

i. Malaysiakini.com
ii. The star publications
iii. Environmental Impact Assessment; A Comparative Review -
Christopher Wood; 2ND EDITION Prentice Hall 2003
iv. Planning Guidelines The Preservation Of Natural Topography In Physical
Planning and Development In Accordance With The Town and Country
Planning Act 1976 (Act 172); Town and Country Planning Department
Peninsular Malaysia