Cameron Highlands landslide site illegally cleared - district officer

The landslide in Kampung Raja, Blue Valley at Cameron Highlands, occurred in the Sungai Wi D Forest Reserve area, which was illegally cleared by a vegetable farm operator last year, despite facing enforcement actions.

Cameron Highlands district officer Syed Ahmad Khirulanwar Al-Yahya Syed Abdul Rahman said the local farm owner was arrested during an enforcement operation by the Pahang Forestry Department last April.

“The settler applied for a forest land use permit, but the Forestry Department did not approve due to the steep slope exceeding 35 degrees.

“This decision was made to mitigate potential hazards, particularly landslides, especially during periods of heavy rainfall,” he told a press conference at the Disaster Control Centre at the incident site today.

He said continuous monitoring by the relevant departments would be undertaken to address the problem of forest encroachment in the area.

The case is being investigated according to Section 81 of the National Forestry Act 1984.

Earlier, five Myanmar nationals, including a woman, were feared buried after the house occupied by the victims was involved in a landslide at about 2.40am yesterday.

All the victims were workers at the vegetable farm and the two bodies found yesterday were identified as Law Ha Phey, 36, and Ki Shing Om, 48.

The other three victims were identified as Shing Law Har, 56, Om Myu, 37, and the female victim identified as Thang Moung, aged 25.

- Bernama

Cameron Highlands landslide: Third body recovered

Cameron Highlands landslide: Authorities suspend SAR due to rain

Stop approving hill clearing in Cameron Highlands, group urges govt

One dead, 4 buried alive in Cameron Highlands landslide