Comments on: Bukit Antarabangsa landslide disaster – urgent Parliament debate

By: taiking

taiking — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 02:26:13 +0000

In order to generate a keen interest to debate the issue in parliament, one should really tie in a carrot. Promise to draw up a directly negotiated contract with any intererested party to implement slope protection measures worth maybe RM20b with a right to collect slope protection fees from affected house owners for 100 years with umno government guarantee thrown in and protection of confidentiality in place.

Sure winning formula.

By: These are some of the responses to the tragedy at BUKIT ANTARABANGSA « Save Bukit Gasing

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 15:00:17 +0000

[...] Bukit Antarabangsa landslide disaster – urgent Parliament debate: [...]

By: wahai kawan

wahai kawan — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 12:47:11 +0000

Prevention is better than cure. While I note the good intentions by the new ruling Selangor government, may I know what measures has been taken for those houses or apartments/condos that has already been build and going to be approved by the municipal council such as MPAJ?

I have a concern because the apartment I bought shows cracks all over. It’s at Block B, Pandan Perdana Lake View Apartment, K.L. I have written to MPAJ, Land Exco & my constituent YB to ask the safety condition of this building but to date, no answers has been given.

I have proof of letters & emails from MPAJ copied to the Yang Dipertua Dato Mohammad Yacob to show that at initial stage, MPAJ hold the developer responsible and then later confirms the other as the management has been transferred from the developer owned management team to a new entity. My question is whether the bad condition was discussed & transferred???

One thing is confirmed by MPAJ – Jika ia melibatkan struktur bangunan tiada tempoh kecacatan.

Now that’s the question I am asking!

If the structure is Ok, then it is safe for me to occupy and as such, if the building collapses one day, we know who to send the bill to!

I hope you can agree prevention is better than cure! We should have programs to check the living ones instead of praying for the lost ones.

We should have MPAJ who are at tax payers cost to have preventive measures!!! A responsible body to protect the people!!!

It’s time for all of us to remember what is the price the society will pay when we have irresponsible developers along with a group of complacent Corporate Governance Officers around!!!

By: cemerlang

cemerlang — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 10:19:32 +0000

This is a good case for the Anti Corruption Agency.

By: AhPek

AhPek — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 06:20:39 +0000

Best of all is nobody will be found responsible for this tragedy.Like the famous Samy’s answer…It’s an act of God.So too bad if your house is there!

By: monsterball

monsterball — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 04:57:25 +0000

The Highland Tower tragedy …….repeated again.
UMNO is only interested to approve anything….as long as there is money to be made.
Now……..look at Dollah blaming developers….with not one word on his lousy UMNO government.
Will the Minister of Housing & Development have the decency to resign?

By: jus legitimum

jus legitimum — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 04:48:21 +0000

In China, when the late paramount leader Deng Xiao Ping passed away,millions people all over the country mourned and thousands even cried and wailed at his passing.But here when that old big mouth has his day,drums will be beaten,cymbals will be struck and if firecrackers are allowed will be lit and fired.

By: AhPek

AhPek — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 04:46:09 +0000

In Cinque Terra (the Riviera of Italy) and the Almafi coast of Italy,one finds the the hill cliffs reaching to the Meditteranean Sea and,invariably one would also find houses built on the cliffs.And in Wellington too the hilly capital of New Zealand,you will find many houses built on slopes,many of them steeper than Bukit Antarabangsa.But I’ve never heard of slopes collapsing on top of houses in those places.Mind you these houses are much longer in history than the ones in Bukit AntaraBangsa.But why?Simple for there is only one reason and that is that those houses built on the slopes on hill cliffs are built in accordance to the best engineering practice.No one would have the audacity to put their signature to approve if it is not done accordingly.
In Malaysia why is it that we can’t built houses on slopes that canstand.This is not rocket science you know. Why are we witnessing never- ending ‘hill slope collapsing on houses’ incidents.Don’t we have engineers who are up to the task or we have people who can be persuaded to ‘close one eye’.

By: OrangRojak

OrangRojak — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 04:40:47 +0000

I was interested to see that this area is directly above the Highland Towers, according to this article:

http://www.trett.co.uk/digest/doit.asp?iss=27&art=4

and the summary of liabilities on the last page of this article:

http://www.lawyerment.com.my/library/doc/laws/casecode/jdgm/11082000-01-12.shtml

I wonder whether claims have been pursued and compensation paid? Was there any action (revocation of licences / fines / custodial sentence) for negligence / manslaughter?

By: lee wee tak_

lee wee tak_ — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 04:34:17 +0000

Let me play the Speaker and I would reject your motion on the excuse of:

1) SPCA has already rescue the 50 cats and 6 dogs
2) victim dead already not need to talk so fast
3) I am under orders to reject all motion initiated by opposition MPs
4) since Lim Kit Siang does not live in Bukit Antarabangsa, not urgent
5) since police, fire brigade and MCA already there, no need to debate
6) since land is state matter, the Parliament is not the place to debate
7) I say cannot, cannot-lah

By: adoionline

adoionline — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 04:21:51 +0000

Why must we keep saying the same thing over & over again? Are Malaysians really so dense & so slow on the uptake? Or are the majority of those who still think MCA & MIC are relevant – & by extension the BN – merely being kiasu? They’d rather work with a corrupt government – easy to bribe, right, then keep on doing wrong things – like rape the environment just for a fast buck? I just cannot accept living in a country where the Chief of Police is still being paid a salary even though he was 100% guilty of falsifying & fabricating evidence to fix Anwar in 1998 – in fact, that’s why Mahathir made him IGP! Same goes for Gani Patail. So what does this Police Inspector General do? He arrests teenaged bicyclists trying to draw attention to legitimate grievances & people who hold candles in public places to demand the abolition of the ISA. Has he summoned any hillslope developers for interrogation? Never! He probably appreciates the Hari Raya hampers he gets from them very much.
Who knows what goodies these hampers contain? There is tremendous SIN blackening the karma of this great country – it’s mainly the SIN OF GREED COMPOUNDED BY ARROGANCE & IGNORANCE!

May the irredeemably corrupt be severely punished here & in the hereafter for the spiritual rot they have brought to bear onus all. The first in line for punishment will be named Mahathir bin Mohamad. May his successors be duly warned….

Antares
~^@^~

By: chris chong

chris chong — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 04:13:11 +0000

PAC again? ask them go to fly kite better.

PR came into power too late in Selangor to put a stop to the steep slope development.

By: sheriff singh

sheriff singh — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 03:54:59 +0000

Just drive anywhere, N-S highway, in and outside of towns and you will see hill-slopes being cut out and developed indiscrimately. One wonders whether these are really necessary and safe and how approvals are being dished out by the various local authorities. What safeguards are being put in place? How are the decisions being made?

Nature is rebelling against us for our misdeeds.

By: homeblogger

homeblogger — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 03:22:56 +0000

madmix Says:

Today at 10: 40.26 (36 minutes ago)
This is a case of GREED GREED GREED. GREED knows no bounds. There will be no approvals until the noise dies down and in one or two years, you will see project approvals by DBKL and others.

=================================

Agree. This is the Malaysian style :

“As long as we make money, who cares if people die in landslides. After all they’re greedy rich people who want to show off and live in hillside luxury homes.”

Greed doesn’t discriminate and it’s alive and kicking in Malaysia because it starts from the very top and for 51 years, it has permeated to every organization, division and department.

By: undergrad2

undergrad2 — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 03:08:23 +0000

Caveat emptor cannot always be used as a legal defense. There are exceptions.

By: undergrad2

undergrad2 — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 03:02:26 +0000

This is a case of criminal negligence especially in the light of Higland Towers tragedy.

It goes beyond common law negligence based on the duty of care. There should have been new legislation enacted post-Highland Towers, placing a more stringent duty of care on developers and the licensing agencies etc.

By: madmix

madmix — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 02:40:26 +0000

This is a case of GREED GREED GREED. Greedy developers, land owners and equally greedy officials from Menteri Besar to mayors down who approve their projects. Greedy engineers, soil surveyors, town planners, and architects who close one eye. And then there are buyers who abet these greedy people.
GREED knows no bounds. There will be no approvals until the noise dies down and in one or two years, you will see project approvals by DBKL and others.

By: taiking

taiking — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 02:17:03 +0000

Badawi finally showed his anger. “Enough is enough” he said. And “dont lobby or pressure the government” for development of hillside projects.

Ah ha. Pressure / lobby the government it seems. So the umno government is actually susceptible to pressure and lobbying by businessmen.

See the problem.

Lets pressure the umno government for 25million to repair chinese and tamil schools. Lets pressure them for lower toll rates. Lets pressure them for lower petrol price. Lets pressure them for abolition of ISA. Lets pressure them for judiciary independence. Lets pressure them for independent police watch dog. Lets pressure them for independent ACA.

All these are national issues. Its affects everyone. 26million people to be exact and not a mere developer or two or three. If they can bow to a mere developer or two or three, then even more so they should bow to the country and the people’s wishes.

But no. Not that simple. Bowing to developers means rewards. Bowing to the people means shooting one’s own foot.

Conclusion: “Enough Nonsense Umno. Enough is enough.”

By: murid-murid

murid-murid — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 02:14:43 +0000

This is an indication of the quality of engineers we have. They are no better than the politicians. All of them are half past six

By: OrangRojak

OrangRojak — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 02:11:00 +0000

“business as usual”
I would like to see this replace “Truly Asia” as Malaysia’s slogan. Loss of loved ones is a terrible tragedy, made worse when you suspect it could have been easily avoided.

Short term profits have a certain gloss, but they are ruining Malaysia in the long term. I look forward to the day when a far-sighted, competent government can rein in the aggressive ignorance and puerile greed that rules Malaysia today.

“why no lessons have been learnt”
Not everybody can learn lessons. Sometimes the right thing to do is to issue a D- and move on to the next student.