Residents gathering near temporary barriers along Jalan Sepadu 7 where slope stabilisation works are ongoing. — Photos: YAP CHEE HONG/The Star
THE relief of finally being allowed home turned to shock for residents of Taman United low-cost flats in Kuala Lumpur.
More than a month after a landslide forced the evacuation of 52 units in Block C, residents who returned on Jan 1 found their homes in deplorable conditions with mud, flood damage and debris.
Others reported signs of break-ins and shattered window panes, raising concerns over security during the evacuation period.
Vivekananthan Segran said there were clear signs of intrusion in his ground-floor flat.
“Apart from the broken lock, the fridge and cupboards were tilted, as if someone had been rummaging through them,” he said.
Deplorable conditions inside one of the units.
However, he said the damage caused by floodwaters was even more distressing for his family.
The father of three, with another child on the way, said his unit was unliveable.
“It is impossible to move back in.
“If there is heavy rain, water will flow into the unit, pool inside and only recede later.
“This is not a place for children to be around,” he said.
Another resident, Jenny Ng, said her sister’s unit had also been broken into, with a pearl necklace missing.
Ng said there was no notice from Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to inform residents that they could return.
“I only found out after hearing it from a neighbour,” she said.
Charlie Woon said his tenant was not allowed to enter the unit on Jan 1 by police patrolling the area, although he later learnt that DBKL had permitted residents to return.
The evacuation was ordered after about 60m of a retaining wall fronting the four-storey flats collapsed along Jalan Sepadu 7 on Nov 24 triggering safety concerns.
Authorities subsequently ordered residents in Block C to vacate their homes until further notice to allow for repairs to the wall and slope.
Based on a notice from DBKL’s Engineering and Drainage Department, the slope behind Block C and beside houses along Lorong Sekata 1 had undergone temporary remedial works and is currently stable and safe, following a geotechnical assessment by a consultant.
The notice added that residents of Block C were allowed to return to their homes on Jan 1, while occupants of the two landed properties were advised not to return until further notice.
Pakiam Abraham said while her unit was not damaged, she has packed a bag and remains on standby to relocate at any time, as she fears the slope is too close to her home.
“Every time I look out, I see the slope and I have nightmares that during heavy rain it might come crashing down on me,” she said.
Seputeh People’s Representative Council Zone 6 chairman Alvin T. Ariaratnam said the DBKL-appointed consultant carrying out the slope repair works had indicated that the current stabilisation measures were temporary, while a permanent solution was still being studied.
“According to the consultant, investigations found stagnant drains and water retention along the slope to be key contributing factors to the retaining wall collapse,” he said.
He said some of the houses located along the cliff edge had extended their structures, adding pressure to the slope and increasing the risk of failure.
When contacted, Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Fadlun Mak Ujud said checks with the police found that no report had been lodged about the break-ins.
Alvin subsequently advised affected residents to lodge police reports.
