ALL development projects on critical slopes in Kuala Lumpur must now be carried out in phases to reduce safety risks and limit the impact on nearby residents.
Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Fadlun Mak Ujud said a slope was classified as critical if its gradient was 25° or more.
“Effective immediately, all slope works must be carried out in phases to allow inspections by authorities and ensure compliance with approved plans.
“Subsequent phases can only proceed once initial works are deemed satisfactory,” he said.
The move followed his earlier remarks in a StarMetro report on April 20 that Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) was considering stricter guidelines for hillside developments and that it would consult relevant technical agencies before finalising the proposal.
Fadlun said the enhanced guidelines were prompted by the April 18 incident at Taman Persekutuan Bukit Kiara recreational park in Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI) where a retaining wall along Jalan Abang Haji Openg collapsed after heavy rain.
The wall was part of an ongoing project by the National Landscape Department (JLN), which manages the park.
Fadlun spoke to reporters after visiting the park with Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh.
Also present were Friends of Bukit Kiara (FoBK) president Leon Koay and TTDI Residents’ Association chairman Abu Hafiz Abu Hurairah.
In a related development, Yeoh said DBKL had imposed a 300m buffer zone on a proposed development opposite the park, after taking into account potential impacts on residents.
“I am very aware of how important parks are, not just for those living in Bukit Kiara, but for everyone in Kuala Lumpur.
“People need green spaces for recreation and to unwind,” she said.
Yeoh said no development order had been issued and that negotiations with the developer were ongoing.
The announcement came after protests by TTDI residents over a proposal to build two 30-storey condominium blocks next to the park.
The project, to be built on a 3.42ha site, is undergoing an environmental impact assessment as part of the planning approval process.
Residents had raised concerns about potential disruption to the park’s ecosystem and increased traffic on nearby roads, specifically Changkat Abang Haji Openg, Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad and Jalan Datuk Sulaiman.
On April 12, residents held a town hall meeting and launched a petition calling for the buffer zone to be expanded to between 300m and 500m.
Previous guidelines by JLN set the buffer at 50m.
