MBPP to step up checks on hillslopes
GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Island City Council (MBPP) will enhance checks on hillslopes on the island to prevent a repeat of the landslide at a construction site in Tanjung Bungah last month which claimed 11 lives.
A study conducted by the Works Department five years ago had identified 34 hillslopes on the island as being “high risk”.
While the majority of the highrisk hillslopes were on road reserves, there were also those with high-rises built on them.
MBPP geotechnical consultancy unit (GCU) adviser Dr Chin Yaw Ming said more checks would be conducted on the hillslopes to prevent a repeat of the Oct 21 landslide.
“Maintenance of hillslopes has been ongoing, more so now.
“As such, the number of highrisk hillslopes may have been reduced over the years,” he said here yesterday.
Present were Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and MBPP mayor Datuk Maimunah Mohd Sharif.
Chin said the council also adopted a slope safety initiative based on a Hong Kong concept.
“We also introduced the Safety Guideline for Hillsite Development 2012 for the implementation of the slope safety guidelines.”
Chin said hillslopes would not be “ticking time bombs” if they underwent stringent processes that covered planning, design, construction and maintenance before approvals were given.
In the Oct 21 incident, 11 construction workers, including the sole Malaysian site supervisor, were buried alive in a landslide, soon after they clocked in for work.
The Penang government has, however, described the incident as a construction site accident.
A Commission of Enquiry has been formed to investigate the matter.