‘CONDUCT STUDIES, ENGAGE EXPERTS’
Determine safety aspects in redeveloping Highland Towers land, says expert
THE move to redevelop the land on which Highland Towers is situated, while commendable, requires thorough planning and execution with best practices.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Institute for Environment and Development Professor Emeritus Datuk Dr Ibrahim Komoo said the relevant authorities needed to produce a proper redevelopment plan and conduct detailed studies.
“Competent professional geologists and geotechnical engineers must be invited to provide advisory services.
“I would like to see proper redevelopment plans, well executed with best practices.
“The suggestions that recreational parks, low-density housing and some community infrastructure be built on the site is commendable,” he told the New Straits Times.
Last month, Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin had announced that the land occupied by Highland Towers’ blocks would be redeveloped into a recreational park and 50 bungalows.
She said the plan was not a high-risk development, and that the park was expected to benefit residents in the area.
The name “Highland Towers” would be retained as it was a part of history, she added.
Ibrahim said the fact that two
blocks were still intact meant that the foundation was stable.
“Of course, the previous failure is due to slope failure and the foundation could not take horizontal load.
“Detailed studies should be carried out to provide a site suitability map for development and redevelopment plans.
“Preferably, this should include detailed zoning categories, such as highly sensitive, sensitive and relatively stable.”
Asked if he believed the area was safe for redevelopment, he said the authorities must study several factors to determine the safety aspects.
“Safety is defined by, firstly, do we understand the ground behaviour; secondly, have we analysed the past failures and understood the triggering and causal factors?
“Thirdly, do we plan and design the redevelopment based on the above factors.
“If yes, the safety factor has been taken care of.
“Otherwise, we will face another failure.”
On Dec 11, 1993, a Highland Towers block in Taman Hillview, Ulu Klang, collapsed as a result of a major landslide.
The tragedy claimed 48 lives and led to the evacuation of residents from the remaining two blocks.