DOSH demands pre-construction data before Paya Terubong slope works

The Department of Occupational Safety and Health has asked the developer of a hillside project in Penang to submit pre-construction information before proposed slope works begin near the site of the fatal Paya Terubong landslide. DOSH will examine the documents and seek geotechnical advice from the

PETALING JAYA (Nov 4): The Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) has asked the developer of a hillside project in Penang to submit pre-construction information before proposed slope works begin near the site of the fatal Paya Terubong landslide.

Penang local government and town and country planning committee chairman H'ng Mooi Lye told the state assembly on Wednesday (Nov 4) that DOSH would examine the documents. Geotechnical advice would be sought from the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) engineering department to assess whether the proposed measures were suitable, Bernama reported.

H'ng also said an MBPP inspection in August had led to a letter to the developer's consulting engineer directing improvements to pollution control, maintenance of erosion and sediment controls, and protection of slopes that had been disturbed or cut, Sinar Harian reported.

DOSH met the developer, contractor and civil and geotechnical consultants on Tuesday (Nov 3) as part of its investigation into the cause of the collapse, including the project's design, construction and compliance with regulations. The Oct 25 landslide struck a home in Taman Seri Rambai, killing 73-year-old doctor Wong Kar Lin. His wife and mother-in-law escaped.

MBPP issued a stop-work notice for earthworks on Oct 25 under Section 70A of the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974. The council also directed the developer and its consultants to cordon off hazardous areas, divert surface runoff and cover exposed slopes with geotextile within 24 hours, The Star reported.

The council gave the developer seven days to submit a site inspection report identifying high-risk slopes and to revise its erosion and sediment control plan. As at Oct 30, residents of two evacuated houses had been cleared to return, while four houses had been declared unsafe for occupation.

H'ng said the approved affordable housing development did not extend above the 76m (250ft) contour. Roads and utilities were permitted subject to conditions in a geotechnical report approved by the state's committee on development on risky land on April 10, 2023, Bernama reported.

MBPP mayor Datuk A Rajendran had said slope stabilisation works were carried out before construction began as a safety requirement under the approved development plans, The Star reported on Oct 30.

The site's planning history dates to 1996, when the original developer applied to build medium-cost flats and townhouses. The developer and plans subsequently changed, and the planning application for the affordable housing development was submitted in 2023, H'ng said.

Penang will await DOSH's findings before considering a state commission of inquiry, H'ng said after Sungai Dua assemblyman Muhammad Fauzi Yusoff renewed the call on Wednesday. A coalition of 12 civil society groups has also called for an inquiry into the development approvals and compliance with their conditions.