NGO CALLS FOR TRANSPARENCY IN PENANG LANDSLIDE PROBE
Penang Forum urges city council to furnish records on paired road project
NON-GOVERNMENTAL organisation Penang Forum has called on the state government to practise transparency in its probe into the Bukit Kukus landslide, which claimed nine lives.
Its member, Khoo Salma Nasution, who met Penang Island City Council (MBPP) mayor Datuk Yew Tung Seang, urged the paired road project owner — MBPP — to furnish records and details of the monitoring activities carried out prior to the landslide.
“Make them (the records) public. Be transparent so that the public can know what is going on there.
“The records can help us and prevent such mishaps from recurring,” she said yesterday.
She raised the issue of another landslide in Tanjung Bungah last year, which claimed the lives of 11 people.
“They (the developer) were fined only RM35,000. Has MBPP blacklisted the company?” she asked.
In response to that, Yew said MBPP would wait for the findings of the Commission of Inquiry to be announced before considering further action.
“We share the views of Penang Forum.
“We promise to look into the matter, but let’s wait for the commission’s findings,” he said.
On Friday last week, a landslide occurred at the Bukit Kukus paired road project site in Paya Terubong.
After five days, search-and-rescue operations were called off, with nine bodies accounted for.
The incident came two days before the first anniversary of the Tanjung Bungah landslide incident on Oct 21 last year.
The project was issued a stop-work order by the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (Dosh) and MBPP.
Dosh, the Construction Industry Development Board, Penang police and a state government committee are conducting separate investigations into the incident.
Earlier, Penang Forum and other NGOs held a peaceful demonstration outside the MBPP Townhall pertaining to the landslide.