Malaysian villagers on edge after landslide near Genting

BATANG KALI, Selangor - The

landslide that hit a campsite near Genting Highlands last Friday

has raised safety concerns among village heads in the area.

There are six villages in the Batang Kali sub-district in Hulu Selangor. They are Kampung Hulu Rening, Kampung Kuantan, Kampung Taman Seri, Kampung Sungai Masin, Kampung Sentosa and Kampung Genting Malik.

“All the village heads in the district have been informed to be on the lookout so that our residents can be alerted quickly,” said Kampung Hulu Rening head Nazari Karim.

Though the village is located about 20km from the disaster site, Mr Nazari pointed out that underground water from the hilltop could travel far and impact a wide area.

The village is just beside the Bukit Kutu Forest Reserve and not located beside any hill slope. Nevertheless, the village management committee (MPKK) has advised those residing near riverways to watch out for floods.

The village nearest to the private campsite that was buried in the landslide is Kampung Genting Malik, about 10km away.

Said its village head Mohd Rasif Rawi: “For now, the many campsites that have opened in Hulu Tamu and Hulu Rening have ceased operations following orders from the Hulu Selangor Municipal Council.”

He added that the landslide has put everyone in the village on alert, especially when it rains heavily.

“Our MPKK has already established a communication network for emergency numbers in case of any eventuality,” he said.

Mr Mohd Rasif added that although villagers in Kampung Genting Malik were most worried about flooding, there was also simmering resentment over hilltop developments, which had affected those living nearby.

“Our rivers have become muddy. We are unable to bathe in them. We have been vocal in protesting (about) this but those at the top do not seem to hear us,” he said.

Mr Muhammad Shariman Saharudin, who is MPKK secretary of Kampung Sungai Masin, which is 15km from the incident site, said that the tragedy should serve as a lesson on the importance of environmental preservation.

He said the river running though the village, Sungai Masin, is connected to Sungai Batang Kali, which flows from Genting Highlands.

“From now on, there must be better monitoring and enforcement of recreational activities as operators will often clear land and vegetation for such purposes,” he said.

Mr Muhammad Shariman added that villagers wanted the authorities to impose stricter controls on hilltop developments in the area.

“The environmental impact assessment studies must cover a larger radius and take into consideration the damage to surrounding ecosystems.”

The landslide last Friday at Father’s Organic Farm,

which killed 24 people,

should be an eye-opener to the authorities, he said. “In the past, villagers were not able to bring our story out into the open. Now, we hope things will change.” THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK