GEORGE TOWN: With the monsoon season now underway, the Penang government has stepped up efforts to monitor hillside slopes and high-risk areas across the state to prevent landslides and ensure public safety.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said both the Public Works Department and the Penang Island City Council were actively monitoring critical slopes, particularly in hilly and forested areas frequented by residents and tourists.
“These agencies have dedicated geotechnical teams who carry out regular inspections to assess the condition of slopes and take necessary precautionary measures.
“Our priority is public safety. We are committed to taking pre-emptive action. Monitoring will continue in all high-risk areas, and enforcement will be firm for any party that fails to comply with safety standards,” he told newsmen when asked to comment on measures being taken by the state government to ensure safety during the monsoon season.
To prove it means business, Chow said the state government had long ceased approving agricultural activities on slopes, noting the risk posed by earthworks on unstable terrain.
“We have not approved any new slope farming for many years. Any application that does come in must follow strict safety guidelines,” he added.
Chow also highlighted the use of the Penang Safety Hill Land for Development 2020 guideline, which outlines stringent requirements for any development or land use on hilly terrain.
The guideline is part of the state’s broader strategy to manage environmental risks and prevent landslides, especially during heavy rainfall.
Addressing recent concerns following a mud flood incident near a construction site in Guar Perahu, Bukit Mertajam, Chow said the issue stemmed from non-compliance with safety requirements and not from any failure in the state’s broader hillside development or flood mitigation efforts.
“The mud flood affected around 50 residents near the site, and a stop-work order was issued. Work can only resume once the developer rectifies the situation and proves that all safety measures are in place,” he said.
He said the incident should not be misinterpreted as a systemic failure, but rather as an isolated case of inadequate mitigation by a private project.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
