Halt hillslope projects, says Penang Forum

GEORGE TOWN: Penang Forum has called for a moratorium on all development projects that involve hill cutting in the state with the new risks posed by climate change.

The forum, which is a coalition of some 20 environmental and civil rights NGOs, said the authorities should carry out inspection and monitor ongoing hillslope developments to ensure that safety measures were adequate.

“The scope of development planning should be broadened in the long term to take into account the full range of factors which are both natural and man-made that lead to landslides and flash floods,” it said in a statement yesterday.

The forum said the members in the coalition appreciated the prompt and concerted efforts taken by the state, local and Federal governments in response to the flood crisis and to alleviate the difficulties faced by flood victims.

It said the weather phenomenon that affected Penang and southern parts of Kedah on Nov 4 and 5 was unusual as two separate storms were visible over Vietnam and one in the northern Straits of Melaka based on the “Intellicast” wind pattern map on Nov 4 afternoon.