Yan said hill slope management, especially with development near these slopes, is important to ensure the safety of residents nearby. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin

GEORGE TOWN, Oct 10 — The federal government should set up a special fund to manage and restore hill slopes in the country especially those that were unstable due to development, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) said today.

Citizen Awareness Chant Group’s Yan Lee said that in Hong Kong, the government there sets aside HK$1 billion (RM529 million) a year to maintain hill slopes.

“The geotechnical department in Hong Kong has over 3,000 experts and staff to monitor and ensure the safety of hill slopes there,”he said.

He said in Malaysia, there is no such fund while the geotechnical department in the local councils here were minimally staffed.

He said hill slope management, especially with development near these slopes, is important to ensure the safety of residents nearby.

He then referred to the Tanjung Bungah landslide at a construction site on October 21 last year that killed 11 people.

“I attended the inquiry into the landslide and it was discovered that there were flaws in the whole system of managing hill slopes,” he said.

He said the panellists of the state commission of inquiry into the landslide were made up of experts.

“Datuk Yeo Yang Poh is the chairman of the Appeals Board here while Datuk Gue See Sew and Ramli Nasir are both geotechnical experts,” he told reporters in a press conference today.

He said these are the types of experts the government should consult when it comes to landslides and issues related to hill slopes.

“I read that the Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said the government plans to amend the Road, Drainage and Building Act 1974 to allow local governments to regulate buildings and premises located in hill slope areas,” he said.

He said this is a welcome proposal, but urged Putrajaya to also consult these geotechnical experts from Penang who are well-versed in such issues.

He said the government should ensure the amendment to the law will cover all hill slopes, including the slopes that have been cut.

“The law should be strict when it comes to hill slope development and enforcement should also be strict,” he said.

He said Putrajaya should consider setting up a panel of geotechnical experts to look at the amendment to the law.

“The panel has vast experience in handling hill slope problems so they will be able to come up with proposals for better laws to govern hill slope developments and on managing hill slopes,” he said.

He said tighter laws are needed to prevent any unwanted landslides due to developments.