Ban all hill development, says SAM

SAM president S.M. Mohd Idris said the state should also revert its decision made in January which lifted the 75m limit on hill development.

He also urged the Federal Government to institute a national watershed council to formulate policies and guidelines for the management of watershed resources.

"State watershed authorities should also be formed to develop strategies and co-ordinate the functions of local authorities," he added.

He said the failure to devise a policy for watershed management had resulted in severe degradation of hill slopes causing massive erosion.

Mohd Idris also urged the state authorities to take immediate measures to rectify Bukit Saujana's worsening slope condition.

The measures are:

* To build a retention pond and a retaining wall based on standard professional guidelines by Kumpulan Ikram Sdn Bhd which the state government has appointed to study slope failures;

* To rehabilitate exposed areas;

* To come up with a state contingency plan or evacuate all affected residents to avoid any impending catastrophe; and * To determine the geology of the area on which the Sun Moon City apartments were built.

The Penang Organic Farm called on the state to commission a White Paper on the landslide.

Its spokesman B.K. Ong said this would clear doubts over the safety aspects of the development and to what extent the developer had complied with the safety requirements.