The draft National Slope Master Plan (NSMP), encompassing an early warning system for hill slope monitoring, is expected to be completed by the end of the year, said the chief of a newly-created section under the Public Works Department (PWD).

Slope Engineering Division director Dr Ashaari Mohamad said technology from several countries were being considered.

"We haven't decided on the technology because we want to glean from the best practices in a few other countries," he told reporters at a seminar for state PWD directors, division heads and senior officers.

"At the moment, we're looking at technologies from Brazil, Hong Kong and Japan."

The one-day seminar saw an introduction to a slope-monitoring and early warning system developed in Brazil.

Dr Beto Ortigao of Terratek Ltd delivered the keynote address outlining the development and details of the Brazilian system called Rio-Geo.

The NSMP, prepared at an estimated cost of RM7 million, will reportedly cover all slopes in the country.

"But the early warning system and monitoring mechanism will only cover areas that we identify as high-risk slopes," said Ashaari.

"We are familiar with most parts of the technology but what we need is to design and instal an entire system based on successful models operated in other countries."

RM160 million approved

He said Hong Kong has the best slope-monitoring and early warning mechanism but Brazil is a close contender due to its tropical climate which is similar to Malaysia.

At a press conference later, Works Minister S Samy Vellu said the government has approved RM160 million under the 9th Malaysia Plan for the early warning system.

"The money will only be in next year but the preparation work, which includes 10 preventive steps identified by the Slope Engineering Division, is already underway.

"Among them are hazard-mapping and assessment, early warning and real-time monitoring, strategies and institutional framework, guideline and training, public awareness and education, and emergency preparedness, response and recovery."

He said ongoing preparatory work includes assessment of a suitable early warning system, comprehensive specifications of new slopes and monitoring guidelines, and cataloguing and registration of all slopes along federal and state roads.

"The slope priority ranking system has already been published while the public awareness campaign will kick off soon," the minister added.

During his opening address, Samy Vellu told participants to pay full attention to the deliberations and to be prepared for any eventualities related to slopes.

"This is a good seminar. There's only been much talk about slopes all this while but now we're getting down to the action.

"Participants must be constantly alert because they will be summoned when disaster strikes," he said, directing the organiser, the Slope Engineering Division, to register the particulars and qualification of the 200-odd participants.

He said the master plan will be designed to provide accurate predictions, early warnings and fast responses to landslides, among other aspects of the slope monitoring mechanism.

No development nearby

On whether development projects will be allowed on slopes once the early warning system is up and running, he said there would be no such thing.

"When the instruments are installed, no other development can be allowed nearby. We will specify a certain distance that must be maintained between the equipment and the nearest development."

On Saturday, Federal Territories Minister Mohd Isa Abdul Samad, citing land shortage in Kuala Lumpur, indicated a reversal in the policy prohibiting hillside development.

Bernama quoted him as saying that close supervision of hillside developments will prevent adverse short- or long-term effects.

He had already commissioned a RM2 million study on hillside development to be conducted by the Mineral and Geo-science Department and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.

The findings are expected to be completed by year-end and will be used by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall as the guideline for hillside development.