DEVELOPMENT on steep slopes should never be approved, regardless of land ownership, says Pertubuhan Pelindung Khazanah Alam Malaysia (Peka) president Rajesh Nagarajan.
"Even if you own the land, the local council is not supposed to grant a development order if the slope is too steep.
"It’s not just a risk to the project itself, but also to the surrounding community," Rajesh, an environmental activist and lawyer, said in a phone interview.
He was responding to a StarMetro report on June 16 titled "Bukit Gasing development on private land, not forest reserve, says rep", in which Bukit Gasing assemblyman Rajiv Rishyakaran said he had no objections to the development as long as it did not encroach upon the gazetted forest reserve nearby.
Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) had approved several bungalow developments on Bukit Gasing, some of which Rajesh said appeared to be on dangerously steep slopes.
There are existing guidelines that prohibit development on steep slopes, he added.
It is learnt that about 50 out of some 95 land lots along Jalan 5/64, Jalan 5/66, Jalan 5/66A and Jalan 5/60 that are situated on the steep slopes of the hill have yet to be developed.
Since MBPJ has issued development orders for building projects on the steep slopes of Bukit Gasing, Rajesh said the local council needed to be transparent about the approval process and provide evidence that the area was safe for development.
"The assemblyman must help obtain and release the relevant documents to convince the people that the developments are safe.
"Without proof, it raises serious concerns about whether the approvals are properly issued," he said.
On Monday (June 16), around 30 individuals including Peka members, residents and Bukit Gasing hikers gathered outside the MBPJ headquarters in a peaceful protest.
They submitted a memorandum calling for a stop-work order and urged the council to commission an independent geological assessment of the hill’s stability and biodiversity.
