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    Landslide - Kg. Pasir

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    uyunaman
    The document summarizes a landslide that occurred on May 31, 2006 in Kampung Pasir, Selangor, Malaysia. There have been multiple landslides in the area over the past decades, indicating it is a high-risk zone. The landslide was likely caused by a retaining wall collapsing after heavy rain, as the developer did not follow proper planning and safety guidelines for construction on steep slopes. The document criticizes the local planning authority for failing to properly regulate developers' construction and ensure project approval follows environmental and safety standards.

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    Landslide - Kg. Pasir

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    uyunaman
    593 views9 pages
    The document summarizes a landslide that occurred on May 31, 2006 in Kampung Pasir, Selangor, Malaysia. There have been multiple landslides in the area over the past decades, indicating it is a high-risk zone. The landslide was likely caused by a retaining wall collapsing after heavy rain, as the developer did not follow proper planning and safety guidelines for construction on steep slopes. The document criticizes the local planning authority for failing to properly regulate developers' construction and ensure project approval follows environmental and safety standards.

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    The document summarizes a landslide that occurred on May 31, 2006 in Kampung Pasir, Selangor, Malaysia. There have been multiple landslides in the area over the past decades, indicating it is a high-risk zone. The landslide was likely caused by a retaining wall collapsing after heavy rain, as the developer did not follow proper planning and safety guidelines for construction on steep slopes. The document criticizes the local planning authority for failing to properly regulate developers' construction and ensure project approval follows environmental and safety standards.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    593 views9 pages

    Landslide - Kg. Pasir

    Uploaded by

    uyunaman
    The document summarizes a landslide that occurred on May 31, 2006 in Kampung Pasir, Selangor, Malaysia. There have been multiple landslides in the area over the past decades, indicating it is a high-risk zone. The landslide was likely caused by a retaining wall collapsing after heavy rain, as the developer did not follow proper planning and safety guidelines for construction on steep slopes. The document criticizes the local planning authority for failing to properly regulate developers' construction and ensure project approval follows environmental and safety standards.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 9

    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

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