A local NGO leader closely following the state commission of inquiry (SCI) into the fatal landslide in Tanjung Bungah at the Penang Town Hall has been asked to remove his video recordings on the proceedings.

Citizens Awareness Chant Group chief Yan Lee said on his Facebook post dated March 28 that a report was lodged against him by lawyers of Penang Island City Council (MBPP) over the matter.

"Nothing to hide. To the Penang people, we apologise for not being able to bring you any live feed.

"(MBPP mayor) Yew Tung Siang, why is your legal team attacking us?" Lee asked in his posting.

When contacted, Yew said the SCI realised on March 28 that there were online videos of the proceedings on the Oct 21 tragedy, which were held at the Town Hall in Padang Kota Lama.

They noticed the videos were shared by Lee (photo) on his Facebook page on March 27.

Lee had posted several minutes of live streaming during the January sessions of the proceedings.

The SCI secretariat then raised the issue with the panel, while its chairperson, former Bar Council president Yeoh Yang Poh, heard clarification from Lee on why he had shared the videos.

Engineering specialist Gue See Sew and academician Professor Ramli Nasir are the other two members of the SCI panel, which conducted the hearing from Jan 24 to 30.

"Lee was told that the SCI did not at any time give him the permission to record a live video. He should have asked permission before doing so," Yew told Malaysiakini.

"Lee had admitted to recording the videos, and apologised to the SCI and other relevant quarters for the matter," Yew added.

Inquiry open to public

He said the set-up of the SCI to find out the truth about the landslide in Tanjung Bungah, which claimed 11 lives, was gazetted by the Penang government last Dec 21.

Penang governor Rahman Abbas gave his consent to the SCI last Dec 6 for the appointment of the inquiry’s members and terms of reference.

On Jan 3, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the SCI would be investigating whether the landslide was due to an active nearby quarry, and if the incident and deaths of victims were caused "negligently or intentionally".

While the project developer from the Boon Siew Group claims the incident may have been the result of worksite accident, environment NGOs blamed such disasters, including two massive floods last year (Sept 15 and Nov 4 and 5), on "aggressive hillslope development".

"While the hearing is open to the public, any recordings, whether in audio format or live videos without permission during the hearing is not in compliance with the COI guidelines," Yew said.

"Anyone who wishes to follow the proceedings must also register first with the COI secretariat," he added.

The SCI resumes next month, from April 18 to 25.