Suriani showing the large cracks appearing on her house wall following the landslide in Taman Bukit Permai 2, Ampang Jaya, last year.
Taman Bukit Permai residents, who have learnt that they will have to vacate their homes, hope that Selangor government will come up with a compensation plan.
Fifteen houses along Jalan Bukit Permai 1 in the Ampang Jaya neighbourhood have been found to be structurally unsafe following a landslide last March.
Mohd Munir Zakariah, 49, one of the affected residents, said he had yet to make any preparations to leave as he wanted to know what options the state authorities would present.
“There is no point arguing about moving out as it concerns the safety of people living here.
“But the authorities need to inform us on the next step and how soon we have to move out,” he said when met at the site.
Mohd Munir, who has lived in the area for 16 years, said he preferred being compensated with another house in lieu of cash because it would not be easy to get a housing loan at his age.
“Hopefully, the state considers this as there are a few owners here who are retired or nearing retirement age,” he said, adding that he would miss his neighbours as they were a tight-knit community.
Mother-of-four Suriani Che Said, 39, has accepted the situation as fate and started looking for alternative housing even before learning that she would have to vacate her home.
“We have no choice but to look around this area for another house due to the location of our children’s school and our work commitments.
“We are worried about having to rent a place and continue servicing the bank loan for this property,” she said, adding that she hoped that they would only have to move out after Hari Raya Aidilfitri in April.
Suriani said she and her husband were sad to leave as it was the first house they had purchased.
Meanwhile, Ampang Jaya councillor Mohamad Samat said he would continue liaising with the authorities on how to help residents.
“I have asked the affected residents to be prepared, as the notice to vacate will be issued soon.
“I will also be asking Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) to brief the residents once the state government makes a decision on options,” he said after meeting residents yesterday.
On Monday, Selangor infrastructure and public amenities, agriculture modernisation and agro-based industry committee chairman Izham Hashim, during a visit to the area, told reporters that residents would be instructed to move out as the houses were found to be structurally unsafe.
He also said that cracks had appeared on houses as they were located too close to the affected slope.
This is happening despite maintenance and slope stabilisation work currently going on.
Izham said the matter would be raised at the state executive council meeting today on the next course of action and the type of assistance that could be offered to the affected residents.
He said slope stabilisation work, which started in May last year at a cost of RM15mil, was 80% complete.
It is expected to be fully completed in March.
On March 10 last year, slope failure led to a massive landslide that claimed four lives.
This led to the evacuation of residents from nearby Taman Mega Jaya and Taman Bukit Permai 2.
Fifteen houses and 10 vehicles were damaged in the incident.
