Bukit Antarabangsa landslide report declassified

(The Star) – The Cabinet has agreed to declassify the Bukit Antarabangsa landslide report following an application by the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ).

Works Minister Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor said the decision was made to safeguard the interest and safety of the residents.

“It is also my hope that the MPAJ will take remedial measures to ensure that such an incident does not recur, what more with the current rainy spell,” he told reporters after a gotong-royong at the Air Kuning Selatan new village in Gemencheh near here.

The MPAJ had written to the minister on Nov 25 asking for the report, which was still classified under the Official Secrets Act 1972, to be declassified.

Council president Datuk Mohammad Yacob had said that once the report was declassified, copies would be made available to the public at a cost of RM80 each.

Five people were killed and 14 bungalows destroyed during the landslide at Taman Bukit Mewah on Dec 6 last year, causing millions of ringgit in damages with hundreds of residents evacuated.

Shaziman said the Cabinet’s decision had nothing to do with the findings being uploaded onto the Internet.

“We are merely following procedures. The report was made for the MPAJ and we could not make it public without their knowledge.

“So, when they wrote to me asking that the findings be made public, I agreed after consulting members of the Cabinet … that is the procedure,” he explained.

“We have nothing to hide … as long as the procedures are followed, we will make the information available to the people,” he stressed, calling on the Selangor government to begin work on the proposals outlined in the report.

On the leaked report, he said his officers decided to lodge a police report as the findings were still classified when it was handed to the MPAJ.

Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim had declassifed the same report two weeks ago, saying the state government decided to do so as the report touched on land issues which came under the purview of the state.