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Preliminary reports from an on-going investigation into a deadly landslide in Malaysia in December that killed 31 people at a farm and campsite seem to indicate the area was not zoned for agricultural, commercial or recreational use.
David Grunebaum reports from Kuala Lumpur.
Content TypePackage
LanguageEnglish
Transcript/ScriptMalaysia Landslide Investigation
HEADLINE: Expert Weighs in on Cause of Deadly Landslide Ahead of Government Report
TEASER:
PUBLISHED AT: 01/25/2023 at 2:30pm
BYLINE: Dave Grunebaum
DATELINE: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
VIDEOGRAPHER: Dave Grunebaum
PRODUCER:
SCRIPT EDITORS: MAS, wpm
VIDEO SOURCES: VOA Original, agency video
PLATFORMS: WEB __ TV X RADIO ___
TRT: 3:22
VID APPROVED BY: MAS
TYPE: TVPKG
EDITOR NOTES: There is an accompanying web article, and photos for a slideshow))
((INTRO) Preliminary reports from an on-going investigation into a deadly landslide in Malaysia in December that killed 31 people at a farm and campsite seem to indicate the area was not zoned for agricultural, commercial or recreational use. David Grunebaum reports from Kuala Lumpur.
((NARRATOR))
What caused the terrible overnight landslide in December that killed 31 people at a campsite at Father’s Organic Farm in the rural community of Batang Kali.
The Malaysian government is expected to complete an investigation by the end of the month on the cause of the disaster and why a campsite and farm were developed below a steep slope that is downhill from a road built decades earlier.
((Teckwyn Lim, Honorary Associate Professor University of Nottingham Malaysia, (male in English) ))
“It’s not an appropriate place to do any kind of development. It’s very steep, it’s fragile terrain.”
((NARRATOR))
Teckwyn Lim is an honorary associate professor of geography at the University of Nottingham Malaysia.
He’s been studying satellite images of the landslide site going back almost 40 years. Using a small-scale slope, he explained what he thinks went wrong.
((Teckwyn Lim, Honorary Associate Professor University of Nottingham Malaysia))
“Long before there was a farm, they [the government] built this road and in order to prevent a landslide onto the road, they took material from above the road and they placed it below the road and eventually this material, this fill material became waterlogged and collapsed.”
((NARRATOR))
In a written statement, the Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change told VOA the Selangor State Environment Department approved an environmental impact assessment report in 2013 for the development of the Botanical Gardens Resort. But the ministry said the area on which Father’s Organic Farm was built was assessed to not be suitable for commercial or recreational development.
((Voice of Reporter Asking Question))
“Where the campers were sleeping, where 31 perished, were at least some of them sleeping in an area that was a No-Go area, no farm was supposed to be there, no camping was supposed to be there?”
((Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, Minister of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change, (male in English) ))
“From the initial reports that we got with regards to the data from the department of environment, it seems to suggest so but to make final comments I have to wait for the full report to be out.”
((NARRATOR))
VOA has asked the ministry repeatedly for the environmental impact assessment report but, so far, has not received it.
The government has also not answered questions from VOA regarding the ownership of the land on which Father’s Organic Farms sits or on its connection with the Malaysia Botanical Gardens Resort.
Malaysia has a history of fatal landslides. In 1993, 48 people were killed when the Highland Towers apartment block collapsed in a landslide. In 1995, 20 people were killed when a landslide sent vehicles into a ravine. And in 1996, 44 people were killed after a mudflow struck their rural village.
((Hassandi Abdullah, Geotechnical Engineer (male in English)))
“Malaysia is a landslide prone country. The reason being we have a lot of rainfall plus we also have a lot of steep, hilly terrain.”
((NARRATION))
Hassandi Abdullah and Eriko Motoyama are part of SlopeWatch, a volunteer group with almost 2000 members across Malaysia who live in communities with steep slopes. SlopeWatch started after a landslide on this hill in 2008 destroyed 14 houses and killed five people. Now the hill has a slew of slope drains and a retaining wall. SlopeWatchers inspect them regularly to try to prevent another disaster.
((Eriko Motoyama, SlopeWatch Program Director, (female in English)))
“What we want communities to do is to monitor and watch out for signs of landslides. The other one is to report to the authorities and number three is to engage in maintenance, maintain your slopes.”
((NARRATION))
And this country knows all too well the consequences when safety is compromised.
Dave Grunebaum for VOA News Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Embargo DateJanuary 25, 2023 16:48 EST
BylineDave Grunebaum for VOA News Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
