Nation, The Star MONDAY JUNE 5 2006

KUALA LUMPUR: There are over 100,000 hill slopes in the country with 1,000 of them classified as dangerous. Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said here.

He said the Public Works Department needed the cooperation of other agencies, like municipal councils and other local authorities to handle the management of hill slopes.

“If they (the agencies) approve plans for development on hill slopes without referring to the PWD, even God cannot help us,” Samy Vellu said after opening an international conference on slopes here yesterday.

He said that they must refer plans to the PWD, which could provide input on how the development can be undertaken.

He said the National Slope Master Plan, outlining policies and objectives to guide future management of slopes, was expected to be completed by March 2008.

“Once the plan is out, we will amend the relevant Acts to ensure that all developments on hills and slopes comply with provisions in the master plan. The amendments will also
allow the Government to act against developers who flout the plan,” Samy Vellu said.

Earlier, in his speech, he said the masterplan drawn up by his ministry’s slope engineering division would serve as a guide on how slopes should be maintained to avoid landslides and other mishaps.

He said the plan was needed as the country had experienced major landslides along highways and in residential areas, resulting in loss of lives and economic hardship to the
public.

These incidents include the collapse of Highland Towers in 1993 which killed 48 people, the mudslide at Genting Sempah in 1995 killing 20 people, the mudslide at Pos Dipang,
Perak in 1996 which wiped out an Orang Asli settlement resulting in the death of 44 people, and the rockfall in Bukit Lanjan in 2003, causing the closure of the North South
Expressway for six months.

“From past landslides, areas such as Ampang Hulu Kelang, Penang Island and the Cameron Highlands are considered to be high risk,” he said. – The Star