By Zareef Muzammil
AMPANG JAYA, Oct 16 — A Federal government allocation for slope repairs can help prevent landslide incidents in high-risk areas around Ampang, said its Member of Parliament Rodziah Ismail.
She said that based on a study conducted by the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ), 118 high-risk slopes that require maintenance have been identified in areas such as Hulu Kelang, Bukit Antarabangsa, Pandan, and parts of Lembah Jaya.
“When I was given the mandate to be a Member of Parliament, I noticed a loophole in last year’s budget because there was no allocation for slope maintenance. So, I highlighted the matter several times in Parliament.
“Alhamdulillah, (on Friday) Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced an allocation of RM563 million for slope repairs nationwide and MPAJ has identified the high-risk areas (slopes).
“We hope that MPAJ will reach out to the private landowners (near slopes) who are at risk so that they are aware of the current condition (of the slopes) in their respective areas, whether the condition is moderate or critical,” she said when met at the World Rivers Day celebration and the Garbage Collection while Recreation (Kudah) programme at Sungai Ampang in Kampung Muhibbah Ampang, here, yesterday.
Meanwhile, Rodziah said that she will propose a motion during the budget debate next week to ensure that a budgetary allocation for slope control is made, similar to the funding for the Malaysian Road Records Information System (Marris).
“The allocation for slope control must be provided so that people living near slopes would feel more secure and safe,” she said.
On Friday, Anwar announced that the allocation is provided for the repairs of more than 2,000 high-risk slopes across the country.
The funds include monitoring, prevention, reporting, and early warning systems aimed at preventing landslide incidents from occurring, such as the tragic Batang Kali landslide in December last year, which claimed 31 lives.
