SHAH ALAM: The Selangor state government has prioritised transparency and truth in regard to the Putra Heights gas pipeline blast, which happened on April 1.
In tabling a special motion on the findings at the Selangor Legislative Assembly yesterday, Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari (pic) said that was the reason various efforts at the site were kept separate from each other.
“That is why we practised... a clear separation between efforts to help the people, recovery of Putra Heights and space for enforcement and technical agencies to scrutinise and investigate,” said Amirudin.
He added that efforts in managing the Putra Heights gas pipeline incident should not be handled politically but must instead focus on safety, truth and improvement without any political parameters.
Given this, Amirudin said the Opposition will be offered the privilege to select and appoint two experts to sit on the special committee on gas pipeline adaptation risks initiated by the state government.
The special committee will consist of the Occupational Safety and Health Department, Mineral and Geosciences Department, local councils, PETRONAS, as well as up to seven experts, said Amirudin.
He added that the committee’s role would be to suggest development criteria and additional safety measures to ensure no foreseeable recurrence of the incident.
“This will include risk management from PETRONAS, which can be increased, including the usage of real-time monitoring devices and evaluation of soil condition, especially in areas where the soil is naturally weak or has an underground river or water flow.
“We are determined that such an incident will not repeat in Selangor and this experience will also prevent it from happening nationwide,” said Amirudin.
He said the state administration will also combine the reports by the four government agencies involved in investigating the disaster into an official document.
The document would then be distributed to Taman Putra Harmoni and Kampung Kuala Sungai Baru residents who were affected by the incident.
It will also be made into a public document, added Amirudin.
On another matter, Amirudin explained that the right-of-way (ROW) for PETRONAS meant that government-owned land with gas pipelines must give priority to the company to build, access or carry out work.
“There has to be prior application and approval from PETRONAS.
“As for Putra Heights, even though the area between Taman Putra Harmoni and Kampung Kuala Sungai Baru is generally referred to as ROW, the land does not belong to the government but to Petronas Gas Berhad (PGB),’’ said Amirudin, adding that the land was the company’s private property.
He also said technical as well as police investigations had ruled out that the explosion was triggered by groundwork because a monsoon pipe that lay above the gas pipeline remained intact.
He also said allegations that a developer constructing shop lots near the affected area had been carrying out illegal work were untrue, as the company had obtained permission from PGB on March 20.
