SHAH ALAM: All victims of the gas pipeline explosion in Putra Heights, who were temporarily housed at the Dewan Camelia relief centre, were given the go ahead to return to their homes, with the centre officially closed last night.
Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari also announced that residents at the Masjid Putra Heights relief centre would be allowed to return home in stages by the end of the week.
“The decision was made to allow residents whose homes sustained minor damage to return, while houses with more severe damage will undergo further assessment,” he said at a media conference at the Selangor State Secretariat yesterday.
“A standard aid package will be provided to assist with repair works, as recommended by the Recovery Committee.”
Following minor repair works and technical assessments by the Fire and Rescue Department, 270 homes have been declared safe for reoccupation.
“Water and electricity supply will be restored to these homes, and they are now deemed habitable,” said Amirudin.
He also announced a large-scale gotong-royong event scheduled for this weekend.
The initiative will involve the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation, Persatuan Misi Kemanusiaan Selangor, local councils and volunteer groups including Team Selangor and Selangor Volunteer.
“The cleanup will focus on the 270 affected homes and will take place on Saturday and Sunday.
“Selangor Volunteer and Team Selangor will coordinate the work across two housing areas, with 1,000 volunteers expected to participate in clearing debris and preparing the homes for reoccupation.”
He added that recovery efforts also include the disbursement of the first round of rental assistance for families still in temporary accommodation, and this is expected to be completed by next week.
Amiruddin said 16 families have accepted temporary accommodation such as Airbnb units offered by the state.
He said all 56 state assemblymen, including those from the Opposition, will each contribute RM200 for recovery efforts.
He added that all state executive councillors would donate RM1,000 each to the Tabung Prihatin relief fund established for this purpose.
“In addition, Selangor civil servants in Grade 48 positions and above will contribute RM50 each to the fund.”
Amiruddin, who is also Gombak MP, estimated that RM102,000 would be raised through these contributions.
The Tabung Prihatin was launched two days after the explosion, which occurred on the second day of Hari Raya.
Amirudin said the Selangor Land and Mines Office would begin offering mobile services starting next Monday to assist residents who lost property documents in the explosion.
“This service will allow affected residents to obtain reprinted land titles free of charge.”
He said for homes that sustained more than 40% structural damage, further discussions would be held with the Local Government Development Ministry next Monday to determine appropriate long-term solutions.
On ongoing investigations, Amirudin said 118 individuals have been summoned by police, although details about their identities remain undisclosed.
