Maran Perianen
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow says an inquiry must wait for the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH). The department is still probing the Paya Terubong landslide. A man, 73, died when the slope gave way on 25 October. The city council ordered earthworks to stop the same day. Chow spoke on Saturday, 7 November, Bernama reported.
Chow said he had not received any progress update from DOSH. He said the department will send its recommendations to the state once it finishes. Only then will the state decide whether to set up an inquiry.
Overall, here is what happened on the day, what the state and DOSH have said since, and what comes next.
What happened on 25 October
The slope gave way at about 8.36am in a housing area in Paya Terubong, on Penang island. The landslide buried a home. Dr Wong Kar Lin, 73, died in the collapse.
His wife and his mother-in-law, who is in her 80s, escaped. No other injuries were reported. Moreover, six nearby houses were evacuated.
The Penang Island City Council (MBPP) issued a stop-earthworks notice on 25 October. The developer and its consultants had to cordon off the area. They also had to move people at risk within 24 hours. In addition, the developer must channel runoff from the upper slope and cover exposed slopes. It must also submit a revised erosion and sediment control plan.
Four of the six evacuated houses were declared unsafe under the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974. However, two houses were cleared for reoccupation. Therefore, the return of residents now depends on DOSH approval.
What the state and DOSH have said
DOSH inspected the site on 29 October. It met the civil and geotechnical engineers, the developer and the contractor on 3 November. The department is looking at safety, construction, design and compliance.
DOSH has asked the developer for pre-construction information documents before any mitigation work starts. The developer was also told to submit a slope-risk map and a mitigation plan within seven days. Meanwhile, the developer has built a temporary bund and covered the slopes.
Read more: Paya Terubong landslide stop-work order after man, 73, dies
Read more: SAM says it warned Penang before the Paya Terubong landslide
Read more: Continuous rain warning for Penang, Perlis, Kedah and Perak
Committee chairman H’ng Mooi Lye handles local government and planning in Penang. He told the state assembly on 4 November that the project is an approved 35-storey affordable housing development. He said it is not above the 76-metre contour. Moreover, the site’s approval dates to 1996, and the current planning application was filed in 2023.
H’ng said the decisions were collective decisions of the state government, not only the Chief Minister’s. Likewise, MBPP mayor Datuk A. Rajendran said he would wait for the DOSH findings before judging negligence. He said the works followed approved plans and authority conditions.
Calls for an inquiry and what comes next
Twelve NGOs have called for a state commission of inquiry. They are led by Consumers Association of Penang vice president Meenakshi Raman and Penang Hills Watch co-founder Kam Suan Pheng. Sahabat Alam Malaysia said it warned Penang before the slope failed.
The groups want an inquiry to examine the cause, the approvals, the safety measures and compliance. They cited the 2017 Tanjung Bungah landslide, which killed 11 people. In addition, they asked the state to withdraw draft Penang Structure Plan 2040 proposals. Those proposals allow building above 76 metres or on steep slopes.
Chow earlier said the landowner and developer must be held accountable, including for legal implications and mitigation. He listed weather, surface runoff, drainage pipes and excessive soil load as possible causes. However, he said the state does not want to speculate.
Meanwhile, the northeast monsoon adds pressure, with three to five heavy-rain episodes forecast from November to January. Therefore, residents near hill slopes should follow notices from the council. In short, DOSH has set no end date for the Paya Terubong landslide probe, so any inquiry decision will wait.
Amirull Salihing
CJMY
Navin Kumar Perianen
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