GEORGE TOWN: Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) has criticised the Penang government following a landslide in Paya Terubong that killed a 73-year-old doctor, saying it had repeatedly warned of the dangers of hillside development in the area.
SAM president Meenakshi Raman said residents and environmental groups had long raised concerns about extensive hill cutting and the risks posed to nearby homes and the general public.
She said Paya Terubong was already known to be prone to landslides, making major construction works on its hillsides particularly dangerous.
“We have been proven right once again, unfortunately,” she told FMT, expressing shock over the death of Dr Wong Kar Lin.
Meenakshi said the Penang government must explain how the landslide happened and why it was not prevented despite repeated warnings from residents and environmental groups.
She said photographs of the area showed bare, unprotected slopes, questioning whether the authorities had properly monitored the hillside and taken enough steps to prevent a landslip.
She also called for urgent action against any company found responsible for the incident, saying the authorities must not let negligence go unpunished.
Meenakshi added that immediate work must be carried out to stabilise the affected slopes to protect nearby residents.
Wong was killed when a landslide struck the back of his house in Taman Seri Rambai, Paya Terubong. Two other occupants, including his wife, escaped.
The cause of the landslide is being investigated, but the Penang Island City Council has ordered a nearby condominium project to stop work.
Paya Terubong assemblyman and state executive councillor Wong Hon Wai maintained that no link had been established yet.