Suspicious of motives in keeping slopes clean

I COMMEND The Star for the report “Living with slippery slopes” (Nov 6) and the revelation that there are more than 600 risky slopes in Kuala Lumpur alone. With the on-going rainy weather, this is surely scary for people living near landslide-prone areas.

Your reports highlighted the issue of slopes being “exposed to the elements”. For me, this is an interesting development. Over the last two or three years, I have been observing workers clearing the shrubbery and grasses providing soil cover to slopes, then seeing landslides occur, and then witnessing local authorities spending large sums of money to stabilise the slopes. Cases in point: Jalan Mahameru and Jalan Kuching (below the Bukit Aman police HQ). Now I see the soil cover along Jalan Universiti between Mahsa University and the UM Specialists Centre being removed.