A special committee under the Public Works Department (JKR) to monitor the landslide at the Puncak Setiawangsa area, here has been formed, said Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.     

He said the committee comprised representatives from the various agencies including the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), and Institut Kerja Raya Malaysia (Ikram).     

He said the security forces and employees of the local authorities were also carrying out 24-hour monitoring in the landslide area.     

"We will obtain detailed report on current developments concerning the security and soil structure here.     

"We will take the incident here as a lesson. Previously there had been a landslide at the Highland Tower, near here.

So we don't want a similar tragedy to strike again," he told reporters during a visit to the site of the landslide.   

Muhyiddin was speaking to reporters after surveying the landslide at Puncak Setiawangsa, Kuala Lumpur today. 

Last Friday's landslide at Puncak Setiawangsa led to the evacuation of 106 residents from the bungalows, terrace houses and shop houses in the area. 

The deputy prime minister urged local authorities and agencies to also monitor the hillsides and highlands nationwide during this rainy season. 

Commenting on the latest development at the scene of the landslide, he said one of the bungalows would be demolished by Kuala Lumpur City hall (DBKL) to prevent further earth movements which could jeopardise the safety of the residents and building at the foot of the hill. 

"It will be demolished anytime. It depends on the discussions between the developer and DBKL," he said.   

He added that an alternative access was being built to enable residents in the affected area to retrieve their belongings. 

He also assured the safety of the residents' property and said police will be patrolling the area 24-hours. 

"I'm relieved that there were no casualties during the incident," he said. 

Earlier, Muhyiddin and his wife Norainee Abd Rahman, arrived at the temporary police operations room at Persiaran Bukit Setiawangsa about 4.30 pm. 

They were briefed by a police officer from the Sentul police head quarters and also surveyed the other security forces on duty in the area, including from the Civil Defence Department, Rela and Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department.    

‘Do risk assessment’

Meanwhile a geologist today recommended that a risk assessment study be carried out at Bukit Setiawangsa following the incidents of earth movement and landslide at Puncak Setiawangsa last Friday.     

The recommendation came from the coordinator of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's Southeast Asia Disaster Prevention Research Institute (SEADPRI), associate professor Tajul Anuar Jamaluddin.     

He said the institute had carried out an observation on the area today and found the earth structure not strong due to underground water retention.     

Most of the hill slopes in Bukit Setiawangsa have been covered with concrete walls and this causes rain water to be trapped inside, he added.     

He said the use of concrete cement was no longer suitable to be used as it caused water to be trapped inside.     

The other alternative, which is used in Switzerland, is by using steel net to protect the earth on hill slopes, he added.     

- Bernama