Tanjung Bungah landslide: ‘DOE rejected developer’s application’

PETALING JAYA: The developer’s application to build a residential project at the site of a massive landslide that took the lives of nine construction workers was rejected by the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry as it was located near a quarry site.

“The development site is located right next to Teik Granite Quarry, a permanent granite quarry that started operations in 1960,” the ministry said in a statement yesterday.

The ministry said it received a planning permission application from the developer on Jan 9, 2015 and the Department of Environment rejected it on Jan 23 the same year.

The statement said the quarry site performed blasting twice a month, the most recent time being on Oct 9.

“Once the rocks are blasted loose from the hillside, they are sent to a crushing site within the quarry to be crushed into smaller pieces for construction use,” it said.

The ministry said it did not support the application as there was no buffer zone between the apartment project and the quarrying activities nearby, as required by the Guidelines of Siting and Zoning of Industries and Residential Areas.

“The quarrying activities are only 162m from the crushing site and between 400m and 500m from the blasting site.

“It is therefore not a safe and peaceful environment for people to live in,” it said.

It added that the development also consisted of steep slopes that required a detailed engineering study and possibly, environmental impact assessment approval.

“Unfortunately, they decided to ignore our advice and went ahead with the construction,” the statement said.

The ministry also expressed its disappointment at the Penang state government’s “lack of oversight” on the project despite its objections from the beginning.

It urged the state government to review further development of hill projects.

Too close for comfort: The DOE had objected to the construction project because of the quarrying activities nearby. —CHAN BOON KAI/The Star

At press time, Penang Local Government Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow could not be reached for comment.

In George Town, DAP’s Tanjung Bungah assemblyman Teh Yee Cheu said as many as 10 streams are flowing from the top of the hill and passing through the construction site.

He said the streams are located between the site and the quarry, and they flow all year round, bringing water down from what the locals call Zi Zai Hill.

“They are among many tributaries carrying water down from the hill. The water flows along the granite walls of the quarry.

“Although the streams are not big, the amount of water increases after the rain,” he said yesterday.

Teh, noted for being outspoken on environmental matters in his constituency, said his pleas to save the hills had been constantly ignored by the authorities.

He also did not rule out the possibility that regular rock blasting at the quarry, about 400m away, may have loosened the soil.

A civil engineer, speaking on condition of anonymity because the matter is under investigation, said the presence of the streams meant a thorough study of the slope is required.

“If a stream can be followed until it reaches downhill, there is little danger. But if a stream seems to dis­appear midway on the hill, there is a real risk of sub-surface water accumulation.

“The only way to know is to check the hill meticulously,” he said.

He said that because of the recent dry weather, such sub-surface ac­­cumulation could have been slow.

“There may have been signs of soil movement but it could have been hard to see because all the slopes are covered with blue tarpaulin.”

Construction workers were carrying out work at the basement area of the affordable housing project when disaster struck at about 8.30am on Saturday.

At press time, the ongoing search and rescue (SAR) operation at the site recovered nine bodies, leaving two victims yet to be found.

Three other workers, who were earlier reported as missing, ma­­naged to escape the mishap with minor injury.

The SAR team has a delicate task to retrieve some of the remains, stuck between steel bars and rocks, without destroying them.

Fire and Rescue Department assistant director-general (operations) Edwin Galan Teruki, who headed the rescue efforts, said the operation is proceeding well because of good weather.

Malaysian Yuan Kuok Wern has yet to be found and his family could be seen praying at the site.