KL 'still safe', FT minister assures after multiple sinkholes appear

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa has assured that Kuala Lumpur is still safe despite a series of sinkholes appearing.

Speaking to reporters, Zaliha said residents in the city still need to be cautious, especially those who live in the localities of the detected sinkholes.

“Insya-Allah, it’s still safe but as I said earlier we have to be very careful at the area where we have the sinkholes,” she told the media after a sinkhole inspection at Jalan Permai, Kampung Kerinchi in Kuala Lumpur today.

Her assurance came after another sinkhole was detected in Jalan Masjid India in the city, which is about 50m away from where the ground suddenly collapsed and swallowed an Indian national last Friday.

The female tourist, Vijayaletchumy, 48, from Kuppam, Andhra Pradesh, India, fell into an 8m-deep hole and disappeared.

The search and rescue operation entered its sixth day today.

Mapping in progress

Elaborating further, Zaliha said the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) is in the midst of mapping the capital city to detect sinkhole “hotspots” as well as other factors that might be considered unsafe.

“We will do it immediately,” she added.

When asked whether there will be a moratorium for new developments in Kuala Lumpur, the minister said all new projects within the city will be put on hold until a task force has been set up by DBKL.

“We put it on hold for now, until we set up a task force,” she said, without clarifying the role of the task force.

However, three days ago, Buletin TV3 reported that the newly appointed city mayor Maimunah Mohd Sharif said a task force has been formed to review the city’s safety.

Maimunah said the task force consists of experts from the police, Fire and Rescue Department, Civil Defence Force, Works Department as well as the Mineral and Geoscience Department.

Ageing drainage

Zaliha also said the drainage and irrigation system in the country's capital is more than 30 years old.

She said the ministry will conduct holistic research alongside relevant stakeholders.

“As we all know, most of the developments in Kuala Lumpur such as drainage and irrigation systems are over 30 years old. So, we really need to do tests for all the drainage systems around Kuala Lumpur.

“We will work with the Energy Transition and Water Transformation Ministry, Indah Water Konsortium Sdn Bhd and DBKL,” she said.

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