Batang Kali slope was not listed as critical

PETALING JAYA: The campsite slope near Father’s Organic Farm, the scene of the tragic landside on Dec 16, is not listed as a critical slope.

The Minerals and Geoscience Department has denied news reports that the slope, located at the Batang Kali-Genting Highlands road, was listed among the critical locations.

“It is untrue. It must be stressed that our critical slope monitoring scope is focused on settlement areas and natural slopes, and does not overlap with other stakeholders,” its director-general Hisamuddin Termidi said.

“The slope in the landslide tragedy is not listed as a critical slope,” he said in a statement.

The landslide that occurred in the wee hours of Dec 16 saw 31 people killed, with 61 survivors rescued.

Hisamuddin said a risk assessment was required when developers apply for planning permission for settlements or new development in hillside or slope areas.

“The developer needs to appoint a professional geologist registered under the Board of Geologists Malaysia to assess the risks of geological landslide disasters,” he said.

Earlier this month, the department had listed 31 hotspots nationwide as landslide hotspots, especially with the current continuous rain.

The hotspots are in Pahang (Cameron Highlands, Fraser’s Hill), Selangor (Bukit Antarabangsa-Hulu Langat, Kuala Kubu Baru), Kedah (Gunung Jerai, Baling), Penang (Tanjung Bungah, Paya Terubong), Negri Sembilan (Genting Peras, Jalan Seremban-Simpang Pertang), Perak (Ipoh, Kledang), Terengganu (Aring-Kuala Berang-Kenyir), Kelantan (Lojing-Gua Musang), Johor (Gunung Pulai), Sarawak (Miri, Kapit, Bau) and Sabah (Kota Kinabalu, Kundasang, Sandakan), among others.

Batang Kali was not listed.