CYBERJAYA: The Sepang Municipal Council has been instructed to expedite the slope restoration and landslide repairs at the hillside Cassia Garden Residence here, Deputy Minister of Housing and Local Government Datuk Aiman Athirah Sabu said.
Aiman Athirah, who visited the landslide area today, said that the eight-meter-deep landslide is currently active, and repair work in the area, including the installation of iron grilles, will commence today to prevent further collapses.
“The Council has to start work immediately because we have noticed new collapses and cracks… the landslide is quite active, so action must be taken today,” she told reporters.
The deputy minister, who is also Sepang Member of Parliament, however, said that there is no need for the residents in the housing area to be temporarily relocated.
Prior to this, it was reported that approximately 1,000 residents of Cassia Garden Residence were concerned about the landslide near the main entrance of their residential area, which poses a danger and risks to their safety.
The luxury housing area comprises 220 residential units, each valued at RM1.2 million. It has been occupied for the past 13 years.
The landslide was detected almost a month ago and has since formed a crater eight to 10 metres deep, equivalent to the height of a three-story building.
Based on inspections, the landslide has eroded between 10 to 15 metres and caused the collapse of the stone fence between the slope and the housing area.
“The repair work by the Council will begin with the installation of iron barriers (grilles) to prevent further soil erosion.
“InsyaAllah, we will give this matter our utmost attention…we have received a mandate from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim…any situation involving landslides that endangers lives must be addressed immediately, and we are prioritising this,” she said.
Meanwhile, a resident Mohd Anizan Mohd Ali, 42, said he was grateful for the assurance provided by the deputy minister and hopes that the repair works will proceed smoothly as promised.
“The landslide occurred on April 25, and we filed a report with the Sepang Municipal Council the following day. We also lodged reports with the police and the developer.
“At that time, our fence had not yet collapsed. Only a week later, the fence collapsed,” he said.
Another resident, Roesman Uthman, 62, said his house is located just across the road from the landslide and he has been unable to sleep almost every night since.
“I monitor the situation daily, checking and informing the residents about the remaining distance of the landslide to the road. I noticed that this is the last culvert…the distance from the culvert to the road is about 10 feet, and from the culvert to the slope is currently around 10 feet. So, we need to monitor approximately 20 feet to ensure the movement does not worsen.
“The problem now is the rain. When there is a lot of water, it erodes the soil beneath the culvert, and we can’t do much about it,” he said.
