GEORGE TOWN: The landowner and developer of a condominium and road construction project on a hillside near the landslide site in Taman Seri Rambai, Paya Terubong, must take responsibility and ensure the safety of the affected area, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said.
He said the parties involved must be held accountable, particularly as the landslide, which claimed the life of a doctor, occurred on land owned by the developer.
“They must take responsibility for the impact of the landslide, including addressing the legal implications, matters related to the approval of the plans and carrying out mitigation works to restore the safety of the site,” he told reporters after visiting the scene today.
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Chow said the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) had issued an immediate stop-work order and given the developer seven days to submit a mitigation plan to address safety risks at the site.
The landslide occurred at 8.36 am yesterday, claiming the life of Dr Wong Kar Lin, 73, who was buried under debris after the slope behind his house collapsed. His wife, Chang Mei Nuo, 68, and mother-in-law, Wong Poh Lim, who is in her 80s, managed to escape.
Chow said he had received reports from MBPP and the Penang Town and Country Planning Department, as well as a draft incident report from the MBPP Engineering Department. A full report is expected within one or two days.
He said preliminary findings indicated that the incident occurred at a section where slope stabilisation works had yet to be carried out. Prolonged rainfall was believed to have caused water to seep into the soil, increasing the load on the unstabilised slope.
However, Chow said the exact cause of the incident could only be determined after the relevant authorities submitted their full reports.
He said the condominium development project was first approved in 1996 but subsequently faced several setbacks, including changes in land ownership, developers and development guidelines, before the latest approval was granted in 2023.
“This shows that MBPP does not grant approvals arbitrarily, as the process is subject to the Town and Country Planning Act, technical requirements, environmental impact assessments, traffic studies, social impact assessments and other criteria, all of which have been complied with,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chow said the state government had instructed MBPP and the Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) to strengthen site monitoring at all ongoing development projects, particularly those in hillside areas, during the rainy season.
He said some construction activities could be temporarily suspended, if necessary, to allow greater focus on safety monitoring and the immediate implementation of mitigation measures.
Chow also expressed his condolences to Dr Wong’s family and said the state government and MBPP were ready to provide the necessary assistance.
He said any decision on whether residents of nearby homes could return would depend on assessments by the relevant authorities of site conditions and slope stability.
