Bukit Antarabangsa residents to sue previous state authorities

‘We have strong evidence from incidents that happened two years ago’

Residents hit by the landslide at Bukit Antarabangsa have decided to sue the relevant government authorities - empowered during the Barisan Nasional’s rule of Selangor - for compensation.

“We have strong evidence to back the suit because residents had reported several incidents from about two years ago that seemed to point to problems in the stability of the slope,” said M Muniandy, chairman of the taskforce created to represent the affected residents.

The current state government, led by the Pakatan Rakyat alliance, took over from the Barisan after sweeping 36 state seats during national polls in March this year.

Muniandy said the taskforce had engaged lawyers to prepare the lawsuit and identify the authorities to be named in the suit.

“Because of the hilly terrain, residents were always alert and cautious and reported any cases of landslides and even repeated sinkholes with the third one at about six metres deep,” he told the press today.

He said this sinkhole was filled the first two times but it still reappeared a third time, extending under the structure of a nearby house at around the same spot.

Officials from the Public Works Institute (Ikram) had visited, but did not take action.

Corruption first, safety of people second

Taskforce secretary Raymond Jegathesan claimed the residents had also complained when trees started falling, but the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) merely attributed it to strong winds and continuous rain.

“Over 20 years ago a block of houses that were 80% completed collapsed near the area of Saturday’s landslide, and no action was taken to strengthen the slope following that.

“Now lives have been lost and people have lost their entire life’s savings because signs that appeared over several years were ignored,” Jegathesan said.

Meanwhile, Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid has put on hold 90 hillslope projects approved by the previous state administration. Eleven of the 90 were to be located on Bukit Antarabangsa.

“What happened in Bukit Antarabangsa reaffirms our stand and what we have been saying all along,” said Elizabeth Wong, the state exco for tourism, consumer affairs and environment.

“Since our ban, they (developers and Barisan politicians) have used all means - the media, blogs, lobbying off ADUNs and MPs, etc, to change our minds. We were labelled and vilified as anti-business and anti-development,” she added.

Meanwhile, KeADILan information chief Tian Chua also criticised the former state government for the corruption that led to Saturday’s tragedy.

“KeADILan regrets the decisions of the Selangor state government under Barisan Nasional to approve hillside development projects even after the Highland Towers tragedy. They do not seem to have taken into account the safety of the residents at all,” Tian Chua said.

So far, four people have perished in the massive weekend landslide that destroyed 14 houses, injuring 14 people and forcing thousands to be evacuated.

Sumber: Suara Keadilan