JOHOR BAHRU: The recent sinkhole incident on Jalan Masjid India, Kuala Lumpur, is an isolated occurrence and should not suggest that the country, especially the federal capital, is unsafe, said Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming.
He said that building structures in the country are constructed to high safety standards and underground utility mapping is regularly conducted in phases according to the state’s utility corridors.
“Many states, like Johor and Perak have their own utility corridor and (utility) mapping is carried out regularly in phases.
“Therefore, Malaysia, and Kuala Lumpur in particular, are safe. It is not right to say that our country is unsafe to live in just because of an isolated incident,” he told a press conference after officiating the Housing and Local Government’s (KPKT) Sentuhan Kasih Programme at Residensi Pelangi Indah here today.
He said this when asked about the implementation of underground utility mapping following the sinkhole incident.
According to Nga, planning permission from experts is also required for multi-storey or strata building projects.
“Actually, any multi-storey or strata building must secure a geo-science and technical report before obtaining planning permission.
“This is one of the requirements for strata property development. Development orders will be issued only after experts verify that the site is safe,” he said.
KPKT had previously recommended that local authorities, relevant agencies, and utility companies collaborate to implement underground utility mapping.
According to Nga, his ministry was always open to cooperation with Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), the Public Works Department, and various involved agencies to establish underground utility or facility mapping.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa announced last Saturday that the search and rescue (SAR) operation to locate G Vijaya Lakshmi, 48, the Indian tourist who fell into an eight-metre-deep sinkhole on Jalan Masjid India on Aug 23, had been called off after nine days.
