KUALA LUMPUR: City Hall fears the proposed amendments to the law to allow local authorities to conduct scheduled checks on buildings at hillslopes for early detection of underground movement will backfire.

Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) Civil Engineering and Urban Transportation Department director Abd Hamid Surip said these checks would incur costs and property owners might push the responsibility of ensuring the safety of their surroundings to DBKL.

“We can conduct checks and offer advice, but the onus is on the property owner to ensure the safety of the slope,” he said.

Hamid said DBKL never had problems entering buildings to check on hillslope safety.

Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) welcomed the proposal as it would empower councils to prevent landslides.

MBPJ deputy mayor Johary Anuar said there were several hillslope projects, including in Bukit Gasing, that they would like to check.

“With this amendment, we can monitor hillslope projects,” he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail announced on Thursday that the Street, Drainage and Building Act would be amended to give local authorities the right to enter and inspect the grounds of private properties and residential buildings.

Commenting on the statement by Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin on the decision that hotels rated three-stars and above must install a biodigester to manage food waste, Johary said MBPJ was supportive of this policy.

“More than 70% of wastes collected is organic which comes from food.

“Hotels and food establishments like restaurants produce a lot of food waste.

“It will help reduce the amount of food wastes and also the amount heading to landfills,” he said.