FIFTEEN houses  in Taman Bukit Permai 2, Ampang, hit by a landslide last March, have been declared unsafe.

State Infrastructure and Agriculture Committee Chairman Izham Hashim said this was despite maintenance and slope stability works being carried out.

He also said cracks had appeared and the houses were located too near the slope.

“Following a Works Department technical report, I have been informed that 15 houses were found to be unsafe. We have issued an order for residents to vacate their homes.

“We will discuss the next course of action at the state executive council meeting this Wednesday, as well as the assistance that can be offered to ease the burden of the affected residents,” he said at a press conference after visiting the landslide area today.

Izham said work to stabilise the slope at a cost of RM15 million was 80% completed since work started in May, last year and is expected to be completed in March.

“Stability work include the constructing of horizontal and vertical drains and stabilisation works are being carried out on the left and right sides of the slope,” he said.

He said continuous rain before the incident caused water to stagnate in large quantities and eventually caused the landslide.

“This was an embankment that was built in the 1980s, where the drainage system was not properly built, resulting in water stagnating. A total of six landslides occurred in the area – the last recorded in December. But it only involved a small landslide,” he said.

In the landslide at Taman Bukit Permai 2, which happened at 6pm in March last year, four lives were lost and another victim suffered light injuries. 

The landslide also damaged 15 houses and 10 vehicles. – Bernama, January 9, 2023.