Group: Not enough engineers to monitor hillside projects

What a mess: Some groups believe that if the DOE’s advice had been heeded, the landslide tragedy could have been avoided. — Bernama

GEORGE TOWN: The state government is short of engineers to monitor hillside developments but projects are still being approved, said Penang Forum steering committee member Dr Lim Mah Hui.

“I have been with the council for six years and I know the geo-technical department of Penang Island City Council does not have enough engineers to monitor development projects.

“That is why it falls to the developer and contractor to assess projects themselves and present findings, which could be non-independent reports,” Dr Lim claimed at the Tanjung Bungah landslide site yesterday.

Dr Lim said he was surprised that the state, which stressed that it had to follow Department of Environment (DOE) requirements in its reclamation projects, did not see fit to adhere to its findings for the Tanjung Bungah project.

Tanjung Bungah Residents Association chairman and Consumers Association of Penang legal adviser Meenakshi Raman said the DOE should have acted after rejecting the planning permission of the developer in January 2015.

“The rejection can’t just be an advice or a guideline, and the state was violating legal guidelines by giving the go-ahead for the project.

“There is no place for selective approvals as every aspect of a project should be thoroughly looked into and complied with,” she said, referring to the council’s One-Stop Centre for project approvals.