THE Penang government’s special committee to investigate the Bukit Kukus landslide will begin hearings on November 8, its chairman said.

Deputy Chief Minister I Ahmad Zakiyuddin Abdul Rahman, who heads the committee, said they will begin hearings and summon officials, involved like the Penang Island City Council (MBPP), the consultant engineers, independent checking engineer, contractor and safety officer.

MBPP is the owner of the road construction project in Paya Terubong, where the landslide happened and killed nine foreign labourers on October 19.

Zakiyuddin said the committee had its first meeting yesterday to determine its terms of reference and membership.

“The committee will study again information and documents on the Bukit Kukus Pair Road, and identify factors that caused the landslide and the parties responsible.

“The committee will also recommendto the state government on preventive measures to ensure similar incidents do not happen in the future,” he said in a statement.

Zakiyuddin also said the committee has proposed a deadline of November 30 to complete its probe.

Other than Zakiyuddin, who is a civil engineer by training, others in the committee include state public works executive councillor Zairil Khir Johari, Penang Public Works Department’s quantity surveying division head Majmin Sayeed Ahamad, and Dr Saiful Rizan Yusoff from the state economic planning unit secretariat.

Three members in the committee are from the Institution of Engineers Malaysia Penang branch - Ting Chek Choon, an expert in hydrology; Yau Ann Nian, a geotech expert; and Baddrul HM Taib, a geology expert.

“The committee is also considering to invite other parties to assist the probe, like the police, the Fire and Rescue Department, the Department of Occupational Safety and Health, and the Construction Industry Development Board, as well as representatives from Penang Forum,” Zakiyuddin said.

Penang Forum, a loose coalition of local civil society groups, is now the administration’s most vocal critic when it comes to developmental issues. The group has been against the state’s plans to build more roads to solve the traffic problems, especially those that involve cutting into hillslopes.

The group last week demanded that two of its representatives – a lawyer and an engineer – be included in any state or federal investigation panel probing the fatal landslide.

Apart from the state’s special committee, police are probing the incident for criminal negligence. So far, more than 40 people had been interviewed by police.

DOSH and CIDB are also investigating while MBPP is conducting an internal probe. – November 1, 2018.