KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 12 — A calm morning on October 15 turned into panic for residents of Taman Melawati when a landslide hit the hillside just outside houses along Jalan E6.

The incident, which occurred around 10:15 a.m., was caused by several days of persistent rain, although the precipitation was not particularly heavy that morning.

For some, relief only came when they narrowly avoided the landslide, which covered a main road connecting Jalan E1 to Jalan E10 and Jalan G1 to Jalan G2. Others were alarmed, fearing that further slope movements would threaten their safety.

Although there were no casualties, Rathi Kumar, a resident of Jalan E6, whose house was almost hit by the mudslide, noted that if it had happened during rush hour, people would have could have been buried under the orange soil.

“Many people use this road every day, either to get to work or to take their children to school. School buses also use this route in the morning,” she said. Malaysian mail when contacted.

“It is scary to think what could have happened if the landslide had happened at that time. There was a first wave, then a second wave – I don’t know which one damaged our car.

More than two weeks have passed since the landslide, but affected residents are still unsure who will take responsibility for the incident and what the future holds for the area.

Earlier, Deputy Works Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan assured the public that the sedimentary rock underlying the hill was still stable. He said the landslide was caused by surface soil erosion and slope collapse.

As the affected area includes private land, Ahmad was quoted as saying that the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) needed to engage with the private landowner to avoid further incidents. He also said that while MPAJ is responsible for the cleanup, repair work on the slope will be the responsibility of the landowner.

Employees of the Public Works Department (JKR) inspect cleaning works at the landslide site in Taman Melawati on October 16. — Photo by Raymond Manuel

“We don’t want to build anything on this land. If the ground could not maintain its shape without development, how could we safely build on it? » Rathi added.

“Any construction there carries a future risk, and we are at the bottom of the slope. Now, every time it rains heavily, we are worried, especially with the rainy season underway and no repairs have been done yet.

On Oct 24, Bernama announced that a comprehensive report on the landslide would soon be presented to the Selangor Economic Action Council (MTES).

Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said he was still reviewing the report’s findings on the cause of the landslide before presenting them to the MTES for further action.

A resident, Mohd Hanif Ahmad Safran, said he was at home when the landslide occurred as it was his day off.

“We live further down the street, so we didn’t hear anything. It was only through our residents’ WhatsApp group that I learned that a landslide had occurred and was blocking access to our road,” he said.

“I managed to move my car just in time, even though it was covered in laterite soil. Fortunately, there was no damage. But this was no minor landslide; it could have cost lives.

For a week after the landslide, residents of Taman Melawati remained nervous. The landslide location is connected to a hiking trail frequently used by locals in the morning and evening.

Nearby resident Jen Lim, 40, said she had been concerned since hearing about the approval of a bungalow project in Bukit Melawati in 2014.

“From that moment on, we were afraid that one day something would fall. Now that this has happened, it should be a wake-up call for authorities to reconsider similar high-risk projects they have approved.”

MPAJ approved the Bukit Melawati project in 2014, with the developer required to revise its original plan for an 18-storey, 595-unit condominium.

The current project involves 142 bungalow lots, five of which have been completed so far.