TRAGEDY: Landslide at Bukit Antarabangsa on Dec 6, 2008.

The declassification move, if successful, would be a first that the public (especially those potentially affected) is given access to information that had until now been classified as confidential.

The reports, among others, contain studies on the cause of the Dec 6, 2008 landslide, the risk assessment  report of the area as well as a report that contains detailed mapping of high risk landslide spots.

The reports that are supported with detailed geo-technical studies are believed to have been prepared by the authorities earlier this year but until now have been unheard and unseen.

More importantly, the information in the report would benefit residents, who have been having sleepless nights, with some answers to the dilemma they have been facing ever since the Dec 6 landslide.

A source from the Menteri Besar’s office told Malay Mail yesterday the plan to declassify these documents, that had been classified under the Official Secrets Act by the Federal government, was to give the public  access to vital information that could possibly prevent future loss of life.

“We feel that they should know what is going on. They have the right to know and the right to take any remedial action if there is a need to,” the source said.

The source added that the State government had initially not been furnished with the complete report but had since managed to get its hands on the report.

It had been reported that although the full report had been prepared by the Public Works Department, the State government was only furnished with a four-page summary of the safety of surrounding areas.

“The MB (Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim) had been presented with the report by the local council that had earlier been furnished with the report by the PWD,” the source said.

“The report was given to the MB last week and the matter is being studied by the State’s legal advisers as to whether it could be declassified and made public.

Malay Mail learnt that the State government had since obtained the full report from the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council.

The local council, Malay Mail learnt, was furnished with the report but was not able to release it to the public as it was marked “classified information”.

Wong

“We are asking the legal advisers first to ascertain if the State has the right to declassify it (the report) because it was the Cabinet’s decision to classify it,” she said, adding that the State did not get the report directly from  the Federal government.

Although she did not confirm how the report was obtained, Wong said they were planning to declassify the whole report.

Asked on the importance of the report being declassified, Wong said it was a matter of public interest.

“I believe the public should have access to the information and we urge the Cabinet to declassify it,” Wong added.

Malay Mail also understands  that the matter will be discussed at the upcoming Selangor State exco meeting.

The landslide in Bukit Antarabangsa killed five people and left many displaced.

Residents have ever since been calling on the authorities to make the report public but all attempts have thus far been futile.

In December 1993, some 1.5km from Bukit Antarabangsa, 48 people were killed when the Highland Towers collapsed.

Since then, there have been some major and minor landslides in the area resulting in the loss of lives. In Nov 2002, a landslide at 4.30am flattened a double-storey bungalow belonging to Affin Bank chairman Gen (Rtd) Tan Sri Ismai Omar killing his wife, son, two inlaws, two grandchildren and two Indonesian maids.

Restless residents waiting for report

RAYMOND: Eager to know what caused the landslide

Secretary-general of the Bukit Antarabangsa Action Committee, Raymond J said the committee has made several requests to the State and Federal governments to obtain the reports on the incident that claimed several lives.

He told the Malay Mail yesterday that the residents there would be more than happy to see the report to find out what caused the disaster.

“The residents need to know what happened and plan for the future, such as, if hillslope development in the area shall be allowed, or it’s unsafe. We need to know.

This is due to residents wanting to know if, in the aftermath of the landslide, the area where they are living is safe.”

He added that the residents have been patiently waiting over the last 10 months and applauded the plans by the State government in being more transparent with their investigations and study results.

A committee member of the action committee, Lok Hui Yen, said that as residents living in an area that had just faced a disaster, it is within their rights to know what caused the incident.

She added that the residents have not been informed on the results of reports prepared by relevant parties, who were given the responsibilty to prepare reports after studying the incident.

“We have the right to know. We are all educated and I think we deserve the right to look at the reports and present our opinion.”