Barisan Nasional’s (BN) Pulau Betong state assemblyman Muhamad Farid Saad said the development projects must be stopped to enable a detailed study to be conducted to prevent more landslides.
“I have sent the proposed motion to the state assembly speaker and hope he will approve it to be tabled at the coming state assembly sitting in November,” he told a media conference after visiting the site of the landslide in Lengkok Lembah Permai, Tanjung Bungah here, which killed 11 workers.
Muhamad Farid said it was not the first time the motion was brought to the state assembly as DAP’s Tanjung Bungah state assemblyman Teh Yee Cheu had raised it several times but the state government did not take any action.
“The state government has turned a deaf ear and is in denial. It did not heed our protests and those of non-governmental organisations (NGO) and residents who speak out against hill slope development.
“They regard it as not serious, but yesterday we witnessed nature’s wrath,” he said.
Meanwhile, Penang BN Youth chief, Hng Chee Wey said the Penang state government should review the guidelines for approval of hill slope projects.
Bukit Bendera MCA division chief Tang Heap Seng urged the state government to conduct a full scale investigation of the landslide and wanted the search and rescue operation to be speeded up.