Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today urged all state governments to consider stopping housing projects on high-risk hillsides for safety reasons.

He said this to reporters after visiting the site in Bukit Antarabangsa today, where a landslide early this morning buried 14 bungalows and killed three people.

"It would be good if the other state governments disallowed housing developments in hilly areas. It’s for safety," said Abdullah, according to Bernama .

The prime minister said today's landslide and two earlier incidents in the Klang Valley should be a sign that serious attention should be given to the matter before greater disasters occurred.

ulu kelang bukit tinggi landslide 061208 01

"We may not like to see it but if we disregard land stability, especially on hillsides, we are actually inviting disasters and tragedies," he said.

He instructed experts from the Public Works Institute of Malaysia (Ikram) to immediately inspect and monitor the area in Bukit Antarabangsa to save nearby housing estates.

"There are many highland areas in Selangor and the Federal Territory. We must make sure that the land in all these areas is firm and there should be no more problems relating to landslides.

"If there is a likelihood of a landslide, early action should be taken," he added.

Abdullah also ordered a stop to all development projects in Bukit Antarabangsa pending a full report from Ikram.

Najib: Urgent measures needed

Meanwhile, according to the Star Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak confirmed that the government would not be issuing any more permits for hillside developments following the landslide tragedy today.

najib tun razak 01 Speaking at a press conference after visiting the affected area in Bukit Antarabangsa, he also urged developers to stop lobbying for building permits for hillside development projects.

He said urgent preventive measures must be taken to avoid any future hillside tragedies.

The massive landslide at 4am today buried 14 bungalows in Taman Bukit Mewah and Taman Bukit Utama.

The landslide also cut off the access road to the residential area, trapping hundreds of people at Bukit Antarabangsa in Hulu Klang.

According to Bernama , 3,000 to 5,000 residents have been evacuated.