JANUARY-FEBRUARY , 2023 | @ green
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Eriko Motoyama Residents voiced their views .
Malaysia ( UTM ) on the condition of slopes and risk zones in Bukit Antarabangsa , Ampang .
The findings , concluded over two years ago , were already presented to the State agencies , including the Majlis Perbandaran Ampang Jaya ( MPAJ ) last year . Still , it has been placed under the Official Secrets Act ( OSA ). For resident activists and the general public , this is quite a ridiculous situation as public money has been spent , yet the findings are kept secret .
VIEWS OF RESIDENTS IMPORTANT
One wonders who is protecting whose interest . With the new unity government , the public ’ s right to know must be seriously considered a matter of policy .
For so long , the people of Ampang , particularly Bukit Antarabangsa , have experienced several serious landslides which have claimed lives . Yet permission to plan has been issued to developers by the MPAJ at the risk of the recurrence of these mishaps .
For example , in 2022 , the permission to plan was being considered to develop 1100 units of high-rise condominium at Riverdale Park in Bukit Antarabangsa . Residents were up in arms when an obscure notice was put up at the site . It is not rocket science to conclude that even without a Traffic Impact Assessment ( TIA ) report being conducted , we can anticipate how serious the traffic situation will be during rush hours if approval is given .
The protests were taken up by the MPAJ Councilor at that time , who succeeded in getting the MPAJ One Stop Committee to reject the application . Another development still of contention is the Wellenesia Condo project at Lot 850 at the foot of Jalan
Wangsa 1 Bukit Antarabangsa and MRR2 , which has still not received an Advertising Permit & Developer ’ s Licence ( APDL ).
Rodziah noted that there would be some appropriate and helpful information on land and slope issues that can be shared with residents , especially on slope management .
Bukit Antarabangsa is one of the country ’ s few areas with a slope monitoring committee called SlopeWatch Bukit Antarabangsa . It is a community programme run by residents and currently under the able leadership of Eriko Motoyama .
They monitor slopes in their neighbourhood for signs of landslides and conduct simple maintenance of slopes . Residents take a risk-reduction approach to hillside living by working with slope agencies and local authorities .
INFORM RESIDENTS OF RISKS
Today , it is a leading example of community-empowered slope management initiatives recognised by other Malaysian communities , such as the Penang Hills Watch and other regional countries .
Motoyama pointed out that some people did not want such information published for fear of the impact on the value of their properties and other trivial considerations . On the other hand , residents need to be informed of the risks around them to make better decisions .
Surinder Singh , another active community member of Bukit Antarabangsa , disclosed that during the slope management town hall session , they were informed that out of 320 slopes in Ampang , 61were dangerous .
Although MPAJ has had the Hazard Risk Assessment ( HRA ) report in their hands since December 2021 , they had not used it or shared the report for reference in drafting the Draft RT MPAJ 2035 , which was carried out from December 2021 to its completion in May 2022 . Environment consultants and relevant government agencies were unaware of this report ’ s findings .
Hence , there have been calls for the Draft RT MPAJ 2035 to be redone in the light of the latest reports .
Moving forward , the town hall attendees were informed by the MPAJ that they would be installing a real-time early warning system ( EWS ) at four high-risk slopes . Sensors to detect ground movement will be placed at Taman Mega Jaya , Taman Seraya , Jalan Wangsa 1 of Taman Kelab Ukay and Taman Bukit Jaya .
At the 61 high-risk slopes , MPAJ will take a drastic approach by clearing all the trees to reduce the load on the ground and deter soil movement before it can lead to landslides . It prompted comments that the budget of RM7.1 million for this exercise seems to be such a high figure for chopping down trees before soil tests are done to determine trees that need chopping down or simply pruning to a lower height , as was suggested by another resident , Helmy Rizal .
In conclusion , local authorities must ensure that the public ’ s interest always precedes that of developers . In the new Malaysia Madani , we can expect more active engagement from the public with their local councils and reps . – @ Green
The GREEN DUDE , while feeling elated at the turn of events in the Year of the Water Rabbit , caution must always prevail as climate change is real , and the worst may be yet to come weather-wise . It is a time for new beginnings with new attitudes of engagement with the authorities for a more sustainable future .
Local government authorities must now be more sensitive and alert in issuing approvals and not inadvertently be seen to work for the interests of developers . It must be noted that there is a high demand for housing in hill areas as consumers look to live in a socalled “ back to nature ” environment .”